The Way Back Home
by GoingVintage
Summary: Rachel Berry receives an invitation to return to Lima to say goodbye to someone who was once very important to her. What will happen once she gets there? This is a future fic - takes place 8 years after graduation. Now officially rated M!
1. The Invitation

**Authors Note: So yeah, I finished "Waking Up" yesterday and am starting this story today. This story showed up in my head last night and it's been in my brain all day. This is a future fic so Puck and Rachel are adults now. This first chapter is short but it's the set-up…..**

**Disclaimer: I don't own "Glee." The characters just live in my brain for a while, taking up space and distracting me from real life, which is pretty great considering really life is sometimes REALLY crappy.**

* * *

Rachel Berry sighed as she unlocked the door to her small apartment. Flipping on the light, she tossed her keys and the stack of today's mail on her rustic wooden table. The chill in the air hit her as soon as she walked into the small living room. The stupid radiator was broken again. She would have to call the maintenance guy yet again, and he would give her the run around about why he couldn't get up there until tomorrow again. She really needed to move. As she grabbed her cell phone from her purse to lodge her latest complaint with the superintendent, her eyes drifted to the stack of mail. She grabbed it and began flipping through it. Her hand stopped on a mint green-colored envelope with an Ohio postmark. She could tell from the handwriting and envelope style that it was an invitation to something. What, she didn't know. It's not like she had anything to do with anyone in Lima anymore. Her dads didn't even live there anymore.

Rachel sat down softly on her sofa, tucking her legs beneath her, still holding the envelope. She settled into the plushness of the couch and closed her eyes….

She could still see herself on graduation day at McKinley High School. After they had all received their diplomas and did the traditional cap toss, everyone gathered for photos. Rachel beamed into the camera with Tina and Artie. She posed diva-style with Kurt and Mercedes. She hugged Quinn and Brittney for the camera. She even posed with Finn and Noah, who had graduated the year before but had returned to McKinley to see their Glee club friends reach this important milestone. After graduation, they all kept in touch throughout the summer. Even as they all headed off to start the next phases of their lives, they still managed to text or email each other every once in a while. However, the calls and emails slowly tapered off until eventually, Rachel never heard from any of them and she didn't bother to contact them either. Life, in its business and stressfulness, had gotten in the way. She threw herself into her studies at NYU, working hard to gain as many roles as she could. Voice lessons, dance practices, and auditions left her with little time for "normal" college experiences. Many Friday nights, while her sociology-major roommate went off to this party or that party, Rachel stayed in, practicing. As much as she had hoped for life to be different for her once she got to college than it was in high school, it wasn't. While she had a few friends here and there, at the end of the day, she was still alone.

After graduating from NYU, Rachel worked hard to break into Broadway. She soon learned, however, that there were actually a lot of people exactly like her – very talented singers with the ability to dance and act. She became lost in the crowd. Once she realized that the best she was ever going to do was off-off-off Broadway, where lewdness, nudity, and scripts that barely made sense were often the norm, she faced reality. If nothing else, Rachel was a pragmatic woman. Realistically, she could see the writing on the wall. So she went back to college, completed her Masters in Secondary Education, and now lived her present life: a music and drama teacher at a school for gifted children in Brooklyn. She would love to say that she was happy and in some ways, she was. She loved working with kids and was never more proud than when a student would blossom under her tutelage. She just wished she didn't feel so lonely all the time. She thought back to her last attempt at easing the loneliness: she had gotten herself a cat. That first night together, she and her cat stared at each other like they weren't quite sure how to act around one another. The first full day of their relationship, Rachel dangled a cat-nipped stuffed mouse in front of its face but the cat just glared, obviously too smart to be tripped up by some stupid fake mouse. The second day, Rachel tried to cuddle with the cat, which she had named Lola. Lola had other ideas, however, and clawed the ever-loving crap out of Rachel's arm. The third day, Rachel opened up the door to her apartment and Lola, obviously deciding that she had endured all she could of _this_ life with _that_ human, shot out through the gap. Rachel ran after Lola only to discover that the front door to her building had been left open again and her cat had joined the throngs of others that prowled the streets of Brooklyn at night. It was okay, she surmised, because if she were a cat, she'd probably run from her too.

Opening her eyes, Rachel looked down at the envelope still in her hands. Sighing, she pulled it open and read:

_Dear Former New Directions Member,_

_As you may or may not know, McKinley High School is preparing to say goodbye to Spanish teacher/Glee club director Mr. William Schuester and Faculty Advisor, Mrs. Emma Schuester. The Schuester family will be leaving Lima in November to begin a new life in Pennsylvania. Because these two educators meant so much to us during our formative years, we felt it was appropriate for us to do something to send them off properly. Included with this letter is an invitation to the event that has been planned. I do hope you will join us. My contact information is included and I hope to hear from you._

_Best Wishes,_

_Mrs. Quinn Fabray-Abrams_

Following the letter was a small card that read:

_You are invited to attend the_

_New Directions Hello and Farewell Event_

_Saturday, October 29th_

_McKinley High School Auditorium_

_Please join us for a New Directions reunion _

_and to prepare a proper send-off for _

_The Schuester Family_

_Please RSVP to Quinn Fabray-Abrams_

Rachel read the letter and then the invitation over again. Mr. Schuester was leaving? A New Directions reunion? And wait – Quinn Fabray had married Artie Abrams? _WHAT__?_ Rachel decided at that moment that she had been away from Lima for far too long…. Maybe it _was_ time to go home again.


	2. A New Life

**Author's Note: So here is Chapter 2. I wonder when my hubby is going to get annoyed that I'm spending my weekend writing. But it's snowing out and it's either write or do laundry – so I write. Anyway, those die-hard Mark Salling fans out there like myself will see that Puck's dog is the same as Mark's dog, only I didn't actually name him "Hank."**

* * *

With a final push, Noah Puckerman loaded the last box into the back of his truck. Turning, he whistled to his Blue Heeler, Bob, who came trotting down the driveway and hopped into the truck through the open driver's side window. He opened the door and had lifted his leg to get in when her voice stopped him.

"Puck?"

He sighed, not wanting to turn around but knowing he had to.

"What?" With his brows furrowed and arms crossed, he knew he was sending her an "I don't give a damn" look, which was exactly what he wanted.

"I'm sorry for everything. I wish things hadn't happened like they did," she said, almost in a whisper, as she leaned against the porch rail.

He stood there for a moment, a rush of anger and sympathy and apathy all coursing through his veins at the same time. Finally he said, "Well, Marie, there are consequences to having an affair with your boss. You did this to us. Not me. Just remember that when your boss doesn't leave his wife for you and you end up alone. I will, however, have already moved on." With that off his chest, he jumped into his truck, started the engine, and drove away, leaving his 3-year relationship with Marie behind him. What a way to start a Saturday….

Fifteen minutes later, Puck pulled up to his new address. A house so small that it could probably be considered a cottage, he knew it wouldn't take much to fill it up. And despite the fact that his fiancé had slept with her boss, her betrayal tearing a hole in his heart, he was pleased with his new home. As he and Bob hopped out of the truck, he was greeted with "Daddy!" and was soon holding his 10-year-old daughter, Sarah, in his arms. Coming down the sidewalk after her was her mother, Quinn, her stepfather, Artie, who also happened to be Puck's closest friend, and her 2-year-old half-brother, Willie. He and Artie did a complicated handshake that never failed to cause Quinn to roll her eyes and then she was pulled into a bear hug. Laughing, she hugged him back and whispered, "I'm sorry" in his ear before pulling back. He smiled back at her, feeling less depressed than he had in days. Sure, he saw them all the time but he was very happy about the new living arrangement. When he found out earlier in the week that his fiancé was basically a whore, he called Artie to vent. Artie mentioned that there was a house for rent two doors down from his house and 36 hours later, Puck had signed the lease. He was elated that he would be living so close to his little girl and his best friends. It made the hell that had become his life slightly more able to endure.

Quinn helped Puck lug boxes into the house while Artie entertained Willie and Sarah by racing them down the sidewalk on his lap in the wheelchair. It didn't take long before the truck was empty and the boxes were all stacked neatly in the dining room.

"Uh…Puck. You have no furniture," Quinn told him as she surveyed the empty living room.

"Don't worry, Quinn. I got it. Went shopping yesterday and the delivery truck will be here at two this afternoon. "

"Thank goodness. I thought you were sleeping on the floor tonight….What happened to all your furniture, anyway?"

Puck sighed and slid down the wall to sit on the floor. "Well, Marie said all my furniture was ugly. So when we moved in together, I sold it all. In hindsight, I probably should have put it in storage but at the time, I was "in love" so I thought it was okay." He stopped talking but then muttered "idiot" and pushed himself up from the floor.

Grabbing Quinn's hand, he said, "Let's go find Artie and the kids. Not much to do until the truck gets here."

Quinn convinced Puck to stay for dinner that night. He really couldn't put up a fight considering his fridge was empty and he had to still go buy plates, pots, and pans. As they sat down to dinner, he made a date with Sarah to go shopping for the house tomorrow. She wanted to help him pick pretty plates and a shower curtain that wasn't ugly. "Boys never pick nice shower curtains, Daddy. You know that. You need me. I have Mom's flair for style." Puck ruffled her hair, picked her up, and hugged her.

"And let's pick out some stuff for your room, okay?" Sarah squealed. When he lived with Marie, she never had her own room. She always had to sleep on the couch. Sure, Daddy just lived down the street now but she was going to have TWO rooms on the same street! How many of her friends could say that?

Everyone sat down to dinner and began passing the food around. "So I heard from Rachel Berry today," Quinn said as she spooned broccoli on to her plate. Puck's fork stopped midway to his mouth. Artie gave Quinn a knowing look and then casually said, "Oh yeah? What did she have to say?"

Quinn laughed. "Well, you know Rachel. She asked about a million questions about Will and Emma and where they were going and what we were planning for them."

"Is…is she coming?" Puck asked, working hard to sound not overly interested.

"Yes, yes she is. She is taking off work and she will definitely be here. She's already mentioned about 100 different songs she would like for us to perform. I reminded her that I don't know who all is coming yet so we can't firm up plans until we know."

"Can you just "take off" from Broadway like that?" Puck questioned, buttering a biscuit and then loading it up with honey. His daughter stared at him as honey dripped down his fingers. Muttering "gross" under her breath, she refocused on her own plate.

"Believe it or not, Puck, Rachel isn't on Broadway. She's a music and drama teacher in Brooklyn!"

"No way." Artie found that hard to believe. "After all her fights with Mercedes and Kurt because she needed every single lead to prepare for her future as a Broadway bunny, she's a teacher? I definitely can't wait to ask her about that!"

Puck sat back in his chair. So Rachel was an educator, too. Strange. He never imagined that she would end up a teacher. Then again, he never imagined that he would end up McKinley High's athletic director, either. But he was and he was revolutionizing the place. In the three years he had been in the position, the football team had improved greatly. To the shock of Principal Figgins, Puck was the only athletic director in McKinley's history that had been able to put a muzzle on Sue Sylvester. Once Figgins had seen what Puck could do, he gave him carte blanche to do what needed to be done. As a result, the Cheerios budget had been cut and spread out amongst the other school's programs. Puck realized that Sue was a lot less scary when she was virtually powerless. And he intended to keep it that way. Tearing his thoughts away from the job that he loved, he turned back to Quinn. "So is Rachel married?"

"I don't know, Puck. She didn't say. But she didn't mention a husband so I don't think she is."

Puck looked down at his plate, forking a big bite of potatoes. Artie smiled at Quinn, squeezing her hand under the table. He recognized that look in his wife's eye…..

* * *

That night, as Quinn and Artie lay in bed, they were both thinking about their friend two doors down. Quinn turned, crawling over to Artie's side of the bed, laying her head on his chest. They were silent for a few minutes, enjoying the quiet that sleeping children brought. Finally, Quinn said, "Did you see Puck's face when I brought up Rachel today?"

Artie smiled, running his fingers through his wife's flaxen hair. "Is it possible for someone to be in love with someone they haven't seen or even spoken to in eight years?"

Quinn thought for a moment. "I think it is. I can't say that I don't find it a bit strange, considering they dated in high school for only a few days. But you've seen how he's changed over the years. He's always so pensive and reflective. He's mastered that whole "tall, dark, brooding, and handsome" thing. And you've caught him looking at the graduation photo I took with her that sits in our den a thousand times. I think he misses her."

"But why her, Quinn?"

Quinn pushed herself up and kissed her husband on his cheek. "Because, deary, she was the one that got away. And I don't intend to let that happen this time. I love Puck dearly. He's the father of my daughter and our best friend. But I want him to be happy."

Artie rolled his eyes, knowing that his beautiful and devious but kind-hearted wife was intent on playing matchmaker. And he knew that somehow, he'd be pulled into the middle of it. But as Quinn began running her hands down his chest and placing gentle kisses on his collarbone, he knew he'd do anything she asked to help bring their two friends together.

* * *

A few weeks went by and Puck settled into his new home. Sarah was over everyday, which made Puck deliriously happy. He had never worried about her before, knowing she was in great hands at the Abrams household, but having her around so frequently helped soothe his unsettled soul. He tried to be sad and heartbroken over his failed relationship with Marie but as the weeks passed without her bitching and moaning over everything, Puck felt truly relieved. He hadn't realized he was engaged to both a harpy and a tramp but was thankful that she had shown her true colors before they walked down the aisle. As the date for the going away party for the Schuesters grew closer, Puck couldn't help how often his thoughts went to the big brown-eyed, loud-mouthed girl he had once known. He wondered what changes he would see in her….

On a chilly Monday morning, Puck stepped outside, preparing to jump in his truck and head off to school, when he saw a taxi slow to a stop in front of the Abrams home. He knew that this was the week that his former Glee club mates would begin arriving for the Farewell event for Will and Emma but he couldn't help but wonder why anyone would be showing up so early of a morning. He stood and watched as the cab driver got out, opened the trunk, and removed four large, purple suitcases. The driver walked around to the back passenger door, opened it, and offered his hand to the person inside. Puck saw a small, delicate hand grip the driver's and then the figure emerged. For a moment, he stood there appreciating the small but curvaceous woman, with her perfectly coifed short brown bob and tanned legs. And then she turned so that he could see her entire face and he felt his breath flutter in his chest for a moment before leaving him completely. _Shit….Rachel Berry_.


	3. The Reunion

**Author's Note: You asked for longer chapters, ****kmdr87**** and ****Katertots**** –I think this one is longer! It's a lot of talking and set-up and character establishment and blah blah blah…but it's needed to move the story along! Now that my weekend is drawing to a close, it may take me more than a day to update. But I'm all about getting this story updated so it won't be too long between chapters, I promise. And the rating may very well change from T to M. I can't help it - Puck is TOO hot not to involve in smut.**

* * *

Rachel's knock was greeted with a squeal as Quinn yanked opened the door. The two women jumped up and down, danced around in circles, and hugged each other tightly until they were interrupted by Willie, who demanded in on the action. His mom picked him up and spun him around, adding his squeals of delight with hers. She sat him back down, grabbed Rachel by the hand, and pulled her into the kitchen.

"Thank you so much for letting me stay here, Quinn. Your home is beautiful," Rachel eyed the house, noticing the wide-open rooms and hallways painted in creams and taupes and accented in chocolate browns. Quinn motioned for her to have a seat at the table and Rachel sat down, smiling brightly.

"Oh it's great to have you. Artie is the one that suggested it, actually. I had forgotten that your dads moved away but he reminded me. Where did they go?" Quinn walked to the table, settling two steaming mugs of coffee, creamer, and sugar on the table before taking her place in a chair and tucking her leg underneath her.

"They moved to Columbus a year after I graduated. Dad got a new job with a CPA firm that was too great for them to pass up. "

"It's sad that you never come back to Lima…." Quinn started to get melancholy for a moment, thinking about all the years that had passed since they had seen each other or even spoken. Pulling herself back into the present, she put her hand on Rachel's arm and said, "Well, we are both excited that you're here. Tomorrow evening, everyone who is coming should be in town and we're all going to be meeting at the restaurant to go over our plans for the farewell event."

Rachel stirred creamer into her coffee. "Who all is coming?"

"Well, pretty much all the original New Directions members are coming. A few of the 2nd year members are coming but the core 12 that Mr. Schuester started will all be there."

Rachel smiled, happiness filling her heart. She couldn't wait to see them all again. She had so many questions and they all began pouring out. "So what is everyone up to now? How's Kurt? And what about Tina? I thought she and Artie would get married so imagine my shock to see Quinn Fabray-Abrams on that letter!"

Quinn let out a belly laugh. "It is shocking, isn't it? Even back in high school during the whole pregnancy scandal, Artie would always be there with a smile for me. He never judged me and I never forgot that about him. After graduation, he and I both went to the community college. We saw each other a lot there. Plus Puck was going there too and he and Artie started hanging out all the time…. It just kind of happened. We started dating and got married four years ago."

At the mention of Puck's name, Rachel stiffened a bit. "How is Noah…Puck? "

"Oh Rachel, he's doing great! Well, besides the fact that his fiancé cheated on him and he dumped her a little over a month ago, he's doing awesome. He is the Athletic Director at McKinley. He's really whipping those programs into shape. He actually lives in a house two doors down from us now. Sarah loves seeing her Dad everyday after school. We're all one big happy family, you could say."

Rachel fingered the handle of her mug. Noah…Athletic Director? Wow…. She sure had missed out on a lot.

She tried to push Noah Puckerman from her thoughts. "And how is Finn?"

"Finn is doing okay, I think. We didn't get to speak much because Artie handled most of the arrangements with him. But from what I gathered, he's still single and lives in Seattle and does photography. And before you can ask, Kurt owns a hair salon in Cincinnati, Mercedes is one fierce lawyer, Tina is a stay-at-home mom to five children, Santana manages a clothing boutique, Matt drives a truck, Mike is a Hollywood choreographer…and Brittany? Brittany is in medical school."

Rachel spat coffee out of her mouth at the last statement. Brittany? The Brittany who thought a "ballad" was a male duck and once hid a bird in her locker? Medical school? Rachel began to laugh so hard that tears streamed out of the corners of her eyes. Quinn giggled along with her.

"Let's get you situated in your room, Rachel. And then I'll drive you down to our restaurant and show you around. I do all the books and hiring but Artie runs it."

Rachel followed Quinn to her room, where she unpacked a few things before they headed off to the Abrams' restaurant. As she looked around the home, she felt happier than she had in a long time. She hadn't realized how much she had missed everyone until she was hearing about them all again. She nearly vibrated with excitement at the idea of seeing them all tomorrow. And Noah….she couldn't wait to lay eyes on Noah Puckerman again.

* * *

Throughout that entire school day, Puck had to stop himself from telling Will and Emma that Rachel was in town. As much as he wanted to talk to his other closest friends about her arrival, he couldn't because then the surprise would be blown. So he stayed tight-lipped and instead, sat at his desk all day, tapping his leg in that "I'm really nervous and I don't know what to do" kind of way. In a moment that he even recognized as being kind of pathetic, he pulled out his copy of the _Thunderclap _yearbook from his senior year and flipped through it, settling on the two-page Glee club spread. After they took nationals, their yearbook status rose and they were allowed two full pages. His favorite picture, hands down, was the one of Rachel standing in the middle of the stage, belting out a tune at the top of her lungs. She was lit by a spotlight and her skin seemed to sparkle. It was a 9-year-old picture but it never ceased to take his breath away. Realizing that he was getting lost in the past again, he slammed the book closed, berated himself for being a pathetic pussy, and went out to glare at freshman in the hallway (he still enjoyed doing that. THAT would never change.) However, he vowed that as soon as his day was over, he was going to "drop in" at the Abrams household and "accidentally" run in to their houseguest.

* * *

Rachel and Quinn had arrived back from their visit to the Abrams restaurant, appropriately named "The Lima Bean" right before Sarah was due home from school. (Rachel couldn't decide if the name was supremely cute or terribly tacky but the restaurant itself was a comfortable place that the town seemed to love.) Sarah burst through the living room door, threw down her backpack, and preceded to give a five-minute speech about what a butthead Randall was and how he always did stupid things to her before she realized there was a strange lady sitting at their dining room table. While she talked, Rachel gazed at her. She was a female version of Noah Puckerman, that was for sure. She had her mother's face shape and light hair but her face was definitely courtesy of her father. She was a beautiful child.

Sarah turned to the woman at the table and said, "Hi…I'm Sarah Puckerman. Who are you?"

Rachel smiled at the child and looked her in the eyes. "My name is Rachel Berry. I'm a friend of your mommy's…. and your step-daddy's…and your daddy's."

"Did you go to school with them?" Sarah pulled out the chair next to Rachel and climbed into it as Quinn sat an apple and a glass of milk down in front of her.

"I sure did. I've known them all since we were little kids. "

Sarah took a bite of her apple. Turning towards Rachel, she said, "Did you know my daddy when he had his Mohawk? That was such a cool haircut. I keep asking him to get his hair cut like that again but he tells me that his "professional persona does not allow him to have such a hairstyle, even if it was totally badass."" Rachel burst out laughing as Sarah covered her mouth. Looking over at Quinn, she said, "Sorry Mommy…I know I'm not supposed to say bad words." Quinn just sighed. She would have to remind Noah, once again, that he needed to watch his word choices. It was a never-ending battle.

Quinn and Rachel sat at the table, telling Sarah stories about her daddy from high school (except for the whole cougar-chasing thing. That went unmentioned.) Rachel told Sarah about the time that Puck had sang "Sweet Caroline" to her and Sarah smiled brightly. "I love that song! Daddy sings it to me all the time. He says it makes his heart feel better when he sings it."

Rachel bit her lip. Did he ever think of her when he sang that song? She shook off the notion. Of course not. That would be ridiculous.

At 4:30, there was a knock on the front door. Sarah yelled, "I bet that's Daddy" and shot out of her chair. Rachel and Quinn stood up and Rachel followed her toward the foyer. Standing in the kitchen door, Rachel watched as Sarah opened the door and launched herself into her father's arms…her father's very muscular arms. Oh my, was that a tattoo? Rachel felt herself grow warm. Puck stood up and saw Rachel standing in the doorway. Clearing his throat, he said, "Berry."

"Noah."

Sarah looked back and forth from her Daddy to Rachel and back again. Finally, she grabbed Puck by the arm and pulled him into the house. "Daddy, Rachel told me about how you sang "Sweet Caroline" to her too! That's so cool!"

While they stood there, Puck took in the view before him. _Good Lord, she was positively beautiful._ Rachel was still as small as he remembered but she had filled out more. She definitely had bigger breasts and wider hips, which made his mouth go dry. Her hair was short and framed her face, which brought attention to her eyes. Oh, those big brown eyes. His memory flashed back in time and he remembered those eyes, pleading with him to touch her as he leaned down to catch her in a kiss….Shaking the memory off, he grinned at her.

Rachel felt Noah's eyes burning into her but she was unable to look away. His Mohawk was gone and short, cropped hair had taken its place. He was more muscular than he had been in high school, meaning the sleeves of his shirt stretched over his biceps. And that tattoo…. Rachel could see the edges of a tattoo peeking out from underneath his sleeve. She instantly remembered the feel of those arms wrapped around her as they made their way through the darkened house towards their destination. He had held her so tightly……_Get a grip, Rachel….that was a long time ago. _Noah's dark eyes met hers again and he gave her his famous lop-sided grin.

"Good to see you, Berry. You're looking good."

"You too, Noah, you too."

They stared awkwardly at one another for a few uncomfortable seconds. Quinn stood back, watching the exchange. She saw Puck flex his jaw, meaning he was tense. Rachel shifted from one foot to the other. Good grief, the sexual tension was incredible. She felt like her wooden staircase was going to burst into flame. She couldn't wait to tell Artie. Grabbing her cell phone, she sent him a message.

Quinn: _P and R meeting right now. Serious flames going on. Windows may be steamed up when you get home._

A few seconds later, he phone buzzed.

Artie: _Dammit, I missed it. Make Puck stay for dinner so I can see Round 2!_

"Puck, you're staying for dinner, right?"

Pulling his eyes from Rachel, Puck nodded at Quinn and said, "Sure. You know I'm a sucker for your cooking." Turning to his daughter, he said, "Well, Sarah-bear, how was school today?" Sarah then immediately launched into the same tirade about Randall that she had graced her mother with earlier. Randall sounded like a total jerk, Rachel thought. As she listened to the story again, which now had more details and more emphasis on words such as "butthead" and "stupid face," Rachel watched the interaction between father and daughter. Sarah sat on his lap, her arm thrown around his neck, and she had his undivided attention. He smiled a deep, genuine smile at Sarah as he assured her that Randall was only being a butthead because he liked her.

"But Daddy, why would a boy be mean to a girl if he likes her? That makes no sense!"

Puck swiveled in his chair so he was facing Rachel. Meeting her eyes, he said, "Do you want to tell her about the Slushies or should I?"

Rachel just stared. Slushies? What did they have to do with this? "Noah, I don't think the Slushies have anything to do with this, do they?"

Puck smiled at her like she was stupidly dense and turned his focus back on his daughter. "Sarah, I'm going to tell you a story about me and Rachel over there. Back in high school, I used to be really mean to Rachel. In fact, I would buy Slushies just to throw them in her face."

Sarah's hand went to her mouth. "Daddy! That is horrible."

"I know, baby, I know. But you see…. I liked Rachel and didn't know how to tell her. So I was mean to her instead. I realized later, after we became friends, that the Slushies weren't very nice so I stopped. But just remember, when Randall is mean to you, it's probably because he likes you."

Rachel's mouth hung open. She looked over at Quinn, who smiled sweetly at her like none of this was a surprise. Looking back at Noah, Rachel could find no words. Luckily, Sarah spoke for her.

"Well, Daddy, that's a crappy way to tell a girl that you like her. Rachel should have punched you in the face. " She stopped and thought for a moment. "But I understand, Daddy. You were just being a badass….Sorry, Mommy."

Rachel laughed, Puck grinned proudly at his small protégé, and Quinn sighed heavily. "Sarah Elizabeth Puckerman, if you say that word one more time, you're grounded for a week!"

By the time Artie got home from the restaurant, Quinn and Rachel were working on dinner while Puck sat at the table, helping Sarah with her homework. When Artie rolled through the door, Rachel hopped up, ran over, and embraced him in a long hug. "It's so great to see you, Artie! Thank you for letting me stay here."

"Not a problem, Rachel. We're just glad you could make it."

Artie situated himself at the table and Puck helped Sarah load her books back into her backpack. Sarah then set the table and everyone got ready to eat. Quinn seated Puck across from Rachel, partly to help for flow of conversation and partly so she could watch and see if there were any secret glances. She wanted to take it all in. Puck had never really talked much about Rachel in the years since high school but she knew that something had transpired between them right before Rachel had left for New York. That's when Puck started acting weird when Rachel's name was mentioned. She was determined to figure out what happened and then get these two people on a course of "happily ever after" if it killed her.

Dinner was mostly quiet. Rachel ate daintily while Puck shoveled food in his mouth like he hadn't eaten in a week. Every few bites, Puck's eyes would shift across the table to Rachel. Her eyes, which had been on Puck, would then shift back down to her plate. Quinn grew happier and happier at the interaction, giving Artie a sly "thumbs up" from across the table and then smiling into her iced tea. Artie, never one to stand back from some drama, said, "So Rachel, is there someone special waiting for you in New York?"

Puck's shoveling stopped momentarily so that he could send Artie a big scowl. He didn't want to know about Rachel's love life. Rachel sighed and leaned back against her chair. "Well Artie, no…there isn't. There is a teacher at my school who repeatedly asks me out but he reminds me too much of Jacob Ben-Israel for me to ever go out with him."

Puck didn't realize he was speaking until the words tumbled from his brain to his lips. "That's nuts, Berry. You're sexy as hell…you shouldn't be alone." As soon as he spoke, he admonished himself. _Dammit Puckerman. Why don't you just go hump her leg?_

"Daddy said a bad word, Mommy, AND he said the "s-e-x" word. He gets in trouble, right?" Sarah asked, realizing that Daddy better get into trouble if she did.

"Yes, baby. Daddy already knows he's in trouble."

Rachel sat, blushing. "Thank you for your appraisal, Noah. You look…uhh…what you said earlier…as well. But New York is a big place and it seems like the more people there are, the lonelier it is. So I'm alone….it's just best that way, I guess."

"Bullsh….." he started, before glancing at Sarah. "Bullcrap," he began again. "I can't believe you're still pushing people away, Berry. Some things never change."

Rachel threw down her fork. "Pushing people away? Oh, I think you know all about that, don't you, _Puck_?" She glared at him while he glared back at her.

Quinn and Artie grinned at each other and then each looked back and forth from Puck to Rachel and back again. Finally, Artie said, "Did we miss something?"

Rachel and Puck just stared at one another; both with arms crossed and glares on their faces. They were both thinking about _**that**_ night.


	4. THAT night

**Authors note: Okay, here is "that night" that they're both referring to. I cannot write anything else today….my house is a friggin' pig sty! But I wanted to get this written and posted before I went and played Suzy Homemaker. (And I admittedly have a very hard trouble stopping writing once I've started. It's like I have word diarrhea and it just pours out of my brain into my fingers.) The next chapter will be much longer because all the Gleeks will be getting together for the first time in years. Sorry this is short but….well….I hope you'll forgive its brevity!**

* * *

Puck was relieved to get back to the quiet of his own house after his encounter with Rachel over dinner. _Damn that woman,_ he thought. He kicked his shoes off, yanked his shirt over the back of his head and tossed it on the floor, kicked his pants off, and padded into the kitchen in his boxers. _Who the hell does she think she is? A nun? People can't live like she lives!_ Puck grabbed a beer from the fridge, popped the top, and took a big guzzle. Sighing, he was pissed that it didn't make him feel any better. Walking back into the living room, he sat his beer on his new coffee table and launched himself onto the couch. Grabbing his remote, he flicked the TV on, pushed in the numbers to ESPN, and then put the TV on mute. Throwing his arm over his head, he stared at the dark wall in front of him, watching the shadows and lighting change as different scenes flashed across the television. _Fucking Rachel Berry still knows how to fuck with your head, Puckerman._ Puck grunted loudly and then kicked a fluffy pillow from the couch onto the floor. She had the nerve to tell him that he pushed people away? She made a hobby of it! First when she unceremoniously dumped him during his junior year due to her unrequited love for Finn and then….and then that night…..

Closing his eyes, he could still remember everything that happened that warm August evening eight years ago. He was getting ready to start his sophomore year of college and the rest of the Glee clubbers, minus Finn, were all heading off for their freshman year at college. It was a Thursday night and he was driving around Lima, aimlessly. He felt completely unsettled but couldn't figure out exactly why. Sure, he knew he was going to miss everyone and felt melancholy over the fact that their group was breaking up. Even though he and Finn had graduated the year prior, they had all managed to stay close. But that was inevitably over now as they all headed off to parts and lives unknown. Turning down Broadbent Avenue, Puck realized what street he was on. Before he could even really think about what he was doing, he pulled to a stop in front of Rachel's house. He sat there for a moment, looking at the reflection of the moon on the hood of his truck. He leaned his head on the steering wheel, in between his two hands, which gripped the wheel with white knuckles. Sighing, he looked over at Rachel's house. There were no cars in the driveway but the light was on up in Rachel's room. _It's now or never, Puckerman. Go now or accept the fact that you're a sad little pussy and go home._ Never one to back down from his own challenges, Puck hopped out of his truck and gently closed the door. Walking up the steps to the Berry household, he gently rapped on the door. A few seconds later, he could hear footsteps on the stairs and the porch light flipped on. Rachel opened the door, unable to mask the look of surprise on her face. She pushed open the screen door and stepped out onto the porch.

"Hi Noah….is anything wrong? It's late."

Puck just stood there, hands in his pockets. Finally, he said, "No. Nothing is wrong. I know you're leaving tomorrow and….I wanted to see you."

"Well sure, come on in."

He followed her inside, appreciating the way her tiny shorts clung to her ass. She turned again to face him and he realized he could see her nipples through her tank top. His brain began to turn to mush. This was not what he needed. This was not going to make things easier.

Rachel sat down on a bar stool in the kitchen and Puck sat down next to her. She looked at him, expecting him to speak but he kept silent. Her hair was up on top of her head in a loose ponytail and her bare shoulders seemed to glisten, like she had just finished rubbing lotion into her skin. The thought made Puck shudder as lust and other emotions that he refused to identify coursed through his veins and settled in his groin.

"Uh….do you want something to drink?"

Puck nodded and Rachel hopped up and went over to the fridge. He could tell that she was just as uncomfortable as he was but he didn't quite know how to approach the subject, which was the whole reason for his visit. Handing him a can of soda, she got two glasses of ice. Setting one down in front of him, she climbed back up onto her stool. She popped open her can, poured it into the cup, and took a drink, watching him out of the corner of her eye the whole time.

"Noah, what's up?"

Puck pushed himself up from the stool to stand in front of her. "Rachel…am I crazy or have we spent this entire summer flirting?"

Rachel thought for a moment. "No, Noah. You aren't crazy. We did do a fair amount of flirting this summer. Why?"

Rubbing his hands over his trademark Mohawk, he looked at her. His chest was constricted because he didn't quite know how to say what he wanted to say. But it needed to be said, so he said it. "Because I can't stop thinking about you. You've sunk yourself into my brain and I need you to get out of there. You're leaving tomorrow for New York City. I don't know when or even if I'll ever see you again. But tonight….you're here….and I'm here."

Rachel stared at him intently, her breath rough in her chest. "I know I'm leaving tomorrow. I'm excited about it but you're right…there is something between us. I have tried to make it go away. But it's very real and you obviously feel it as much as I feel it."

Puck took two huge steps forward and took Rachel's face in his hands. He tipped her head up toward him and looked deep into those big brown eyes. He had spent hours lost in those eyes over the years. Bending down, he kissed her, gently at first, and then more passionately. Soon, she was off the barstool and in his arms. Her legs wrapped around his waist, he leaned her against the wall and pushed the straps of her tank top down until her breasts were free against the chilly air of the room. He took the palm of his hand and rubbed it against her nipple. She moaned and pushed into his hands. Looking into her eyes, he gave her a look that said, "Are you sure?" She nodded and bit her lower lip. He let her slide down from his waist until her feet touched the floor. Wrapping his arms around her from behind, she led him upstairs to his bedroom.

There was no time for real foreplay. No time for sweet nothings to be whispered or romantic notions to be said. Their coupling was primal – the coming together of two people who had finally, after years of dancing around it, realized that they were exactly where they needed to be at exactly the right moment. They went over the edge together, a tangle of legs, moans, and unspoken emotions. As they came down from their euphoric high, he wrapped his arms around her, burying his nose in her hair. Whispering into her ear, he said, "Stay, Rachel. Please…give us a shot."

She was quiet for a moment. He thought he felt her body tremble, like she was crying. She finally whispered, "I can't, Noah. I have to go. My future…."

Puck felt his eyes burn but refused to admit that tears were forming. He wanted to tell her that he could be her future…but he didn't. He couldn't stand in the way of her dreams, that much he knew. He would not cry over the loss of some chick. _Hell no._ Rachel cuddled deeper against him, gripping him tightly like she never wanted to let go. Eventually, she fell asleep. Once her breath was deep and even, he expertly slid out from her bed without waking her up (because he had tons of practice with that over the years.) Grabbing his clothes, he slipped them on and slowly, quietly walked out of Rachel's room and down the stairs.

Hopping back into his truck, he almost lost his willpower. His heart was pounding in his ears and he felt like it was going to explode. He almost ran back to the house and banged on the door. He was close to begging her to stay and telling her exactly how he felt. But he didn't. She had made her choice. With one last glance at Rachel's bedroom window, he started up his truck and drove away from her house and out of her life.


	5. Together Again

**Author's Note: I've been remiss in thanking everyone for all the awesome comments/reviews/alerts so I wanted to do that right now. Thank you very much! Reviews are like crack to me! And the rating will probably change to M here soon…I feel some Puckleberry bedroom action may be inevitable. And I had to pick songs that the Gleeks have already sung for this chapter. I unfortunately only have 13 episodes to draw from….but it still works!**

* * *

Tuesday morning, Puck's cell phone alarm woke him up from his deep slumber. He had fallen asleep on the couch the night before, thinking about his one lone night with Rachel. Daylight afforded Puck the ability to think more clearly than he had been able to in the dark. Today, he decided, he would not spend his time thinking about HER. He would get through this week for Will and Emma and then as soon as the week was over, Rachel would leave again and Puck could go back to his Rachel-free life. Except that he was never really Rachel-free….But he would deal with that. Maybe being around her this week would help break up the fantasy that he had created in his head over the years. After all, he was busy thinking about a girl who didn't really exist anymore. Rachel Berry was no longer the 18 year old girl who had broke his heart. She was now a 26-year-old stranger who just happened to remind him of that teenaged girl. As Puck left his house to face the day, he vowed that he would be stuck in the past no more.

* * *

Rachel arrived with Quinn early to The Lima Bean to set up for the meeting. She helped her get drinks and snacks out and set them on the tables around the edge of the banquet room. They sat up chairs and tables, anticipating that this would be a long night of talking. Rachel and Quinn were nervously anticipating the arrivals and as the clock neared 7pm, they began watching the doors. Artie rolled in first to stand watch with the girls. He didn't want to sound all girly but he was really looking forward to this reunion probably just as much as they were. At 6:55pm, a thin black woman walked in the restaurant. A waiter directed her back toward the party room. As she walked toward the door, Quinn and Rachel turned toward each other. Mercedes?? Both women squealed and ran to Mercedes, who hugged them both.

"Mercedes, you look fabulous!" Rachel exclaimed.

"Diet and exercise, bitches! " She laughingly said as she bent to kiss Artie's cheek. Just as she stood up, Puck walked through the door. He immediately caught Rachel's eye and raised an eyebrow at her. She gave him an unsure smile in return. Just then, Mercedes threw herself into his arms. He kissed her and spun her around, telling her how "fuckin' hot" she looked. She blushed and swatted his arm. Just then, Kurt came sauntering through the door, looking fierce in a pair of black boots, tight pants, a sweater, and a scarf. All three women screamed and tackled him. Puck and Artie just looked at them, rolling their eyes. Once Kurt emerged from the pile of kisses and hugs, he approached Puck and Artie. He hugged Artie and then sized up Puck, from his toes to the top of his head, stopping to appreciate the muscular arms encased in a polo shirt and then stopping again to focus on the fabric of the slacks clinging to his muscular thighs.

"Puck….life has been good to you. Really, really good…." Kurt practically leered. Puck laughed and pulled him into a hug.

"Did you think I'd be big and fat, Kurt? I was a stud then, and I will die a stud…mark my words." Artie and Kurt laughed and Puck smiled, feeling better than he had felt in ages.

Tina came in next, slightly heavier than she had been in high school but still beautiful. Quinn, Rachel, Mercedes, and Kurt all screeched in unison and rushed to hug her.

"Do you think dogs are howling all over Lima right now?" Puck asked Artie, putting his hands over his ears. Just then, Santana sauntered in, looking exactly the same as she had in high school minus some of the hardness that had once been around her eyes, making her appear warmer than the younger version of herself. The future doctor, Brittany, came in next, dressed in a business suit. She and Santana hugged (_for a little longer than was appropriate_, thought Puck) and then Matt and Mike walked in. More shrieking and jumping up and down ensued. Puck and Artie just stood back and watched the spectacle.

A few minutes after 7pm, everyone was there but Finn. People milled about the room, catching each other up on their lives. There was more hugging and more screeching as photos of babies and toddlers got passed around. Finally, a very tall figure walked through the door.

"Sorry I'm late!" Finn announced. Everyone turned and then he was attacked in a crowd of hugs. Laughing, he hugged each lady individually, complimenting each one on how beautiful she looked. He then proceeded to fist bump each of the guys. He was definitely still a "leader," Rachel observed.

Quinn finally managed to get everyone seated and then she and Artie started the meeting.

"First of all," Quinn began, "I want to thank all of you for coming. The fact that you showed up is a true testament to the influence that Will and Emma had on our lives. We here in Lima are very saddened by their decision to move to Pennsylvania with their son. However, they inherited a nice farm and a sizeable sum of money from Emma's grandfather. So, we have no choice but to let them go. But we're not letting them go quietly! To say goodbye properly, we're not only going to have a reunion but we're going to perform!" Quinn smiled proudly at the 11 sets of eyes staring back at her. The whole room then erupted with activity. Quinn put up her hands to silence the crowd. "Now I know that most of us haven't performed in years but if we could sing then, we can sing now. …Artie, would you explain the plan?"

Artie rolled forward, taking center stage. "Okay, so we each need to get up and say something about Will and/or Emma. And in between the little anecdotal stories, we're singing songs. We're not as young as we used to be so we don't anticipate being able to remember tons of choreography but we hope Mike will assist us. The hardest part, I think, will be picking out the songs. And we need to decide on the songs tonight so that we can start practicing tomorrow. So….suggestions?"

Everyone looked back and forth from one person to the next. And then all eyes slowly slid to Rachel.

"What?" she asked.

"Well, Team Captain, said Puck from the side of the room, "what do you suggest?"

Rachel stood up and moved to the front with Quinn and Artie. "The songs should have sentimental meaning – preferably songs we've sung before since this is a reunion. Plus it'll pull at their heartstrings."

The room was silent, everyone deep in thought. Finally, Tina said, "How about "True Colors"?"

Once Tina spoke, a flood of suggestions poured out from each former member. This led to a half-hour discussion that grew louder as the group became more excited. Artie finally got everyone's attention again and the song decision began.

"I'm going to suggest "Don't Stop Believin'," of course," said Finn, "since it really started it all."

"And we need something emotional, like "True Colors" or "Defying Gravity," offered Kurt.

"And Rachel needs to sing a solo," Puck said. He stood up and caught Rachel's gaze. He held it, saying, "Face it, Berry, you were our star. You're by far the most talented person. And we can't possibly send Will and Emma off without a song from you. No New Directions reunion would be complete without it."

Everyone spoke out in agreement and Rachel blushed and felt herself tear up. She hadn't actually performed in years. Teaching children to sing didn't count. But the idea of standing on stage again was exciting, she admitted. She nodded in agreement and the deal was done.

At the end of the discussion, it was decided that they would sing "Don't Stop Believin'," "True Colors", "Smile," and Rachel would pick a solo to perform. That done, Quinn called attention back to her and then continued, "So we will perform in the McKinley auditorium. Puck, if you wouldn't mind, would you be the MC? You work at the school and are a dear friend to them so its only appropriate."

"I'd be honored, Quinn," Puck responded.

"We have invited all the teachers and their spouses, along with Will's current students, to attend. After the show is over, all of us in this room right now, plus Will and Emma and the kids, will come back here and we'll have a big catered dinner. Now, they have NO idea this is happening. They don't even know any of you are in town. So avoid them. As far as they know, they're coming to dinner on Saturday night with Puck, Artie, the kids, and me, so we have to keep this under wraps!"

The group agreed to "lay low" and then they scheduled a time to get together to rehearse tomorrow. They would use the restaurant's banquet room again because it was accommodating and a central place to meet.

Once the plans were made, everyone got back to catching up. Rachel sat with Brittany, dying to know how exactly a girl who once "thought the square root of four was rainbows", according to Kurt, decided to pursue medicine. Brittany laughed as they talked about her spacey ways and said, "I never really liked high school. I mean, I loved Cheerios and Glee but the classes didn't enthrall me. And then I took an anatomy class in college and started learning about the body and I was just hooked! Suddenly, there was more to life than I had realized. So here I am, in medical school. It hasn't been easy but it's what I want. And that's worth working for." Rachel felt herself tearing up again. She had been doing that a lot this evening, smiling through her tears. Tina soon joined the conversation and talked about her husband, who had told her to "go enjoy herself" in Lima, while he watched the children.

"You know, I miss them, but this is the first real adult conversation I have had in six months! And my clothes don't have any spit-up, peanut butter, or jelly stains on them. This is a true vacation!" Tina threw her head back and opened her arms wide to prove her point.

Rachel stood up to go grab a bottle of water and felt eyes on her. Searching the room, she met Puck's stare. He was in a little huddle, talking with Mike and Matt, but his eyes were on her. Rachel felt herself go crimson, then looked down. She was still a bit shaken from their argument last night. She knew she couldn't avoid him all week…in fact, she didn't want to avoid him. But how would she _really_ approach him for some private conversation? Maybe she would confide in Quinn and get some advice. After their exchange last night, she was sure that Quinn and Artie were at least curious.

As the evening wore on, Quinn and Artie stood away from the crowd, watching the mingling and socializing as old friends caught up. They spotted Puck standing alone by the refreshment table, glowering down at the Dr. Pepper bottle like it was trying to start a fight. They watched as he then looked over at Rachel, holding his eyes to his for a moment, before turning his glare back towards the bottles.

"What's his problem?" asked Artie.

"He's been a bit surly all day. I think dinner last night messed with him. And I've watched him this evening. He's either smiling with old friends or staring at Rachel like he either wants to kill her or rip her clothes off," Quinn suggested.

"Yeah, what was with that last night? And what were they arguing about anyway? I couldn't tell if there was going to be a smackdown of if they were going to have sex in front of the kids on the table!"

"I don't know, baby, but I intend to find out from Rachel. I'm going to have to start getting nosy. There is something going on between those two....and we need to push it along." As Quinn said the words, she got an idea. Just then, Finn walked past and Quinn grabbed his arm.

"Finn, can I ask you to do me a favor?"

"Sure, Quinn...what's up?"

Quinn put a hand on his shoulder, motioning for him to bend down. Then, she and Artie whispered their request. As they whispered to him, Finn's face transformed into a Cheshire cat-like grin. _This is going to be fun_, he thought as he went to hunt down Puck.

A few minutes later, Finn approached Puck, who was still standing at the refreshment table. Appearing to be in an internal debate between Dr. Pepper or Sprite, he was actually practicing "Rachel avoidance" and was doing a damn good job, he thought. _Well, I'd do a better job if I'd stop looking at her every three damn minutes._

"Hey man," Finn said as he approached.

Puck looked up at him and smiled. "Sup, dude?"

Finn bent his head and lowered his voice. "So...Rachel looks pretty amazing, huh? Life has definitely treated her well."

Puck stiffened, his jaw instantly tensing up. "She's stunning, actually."

"Stunning is right. Did you notice the way she's….filled out in all the right areas? Do...do you think she's single?"

At that exact moment, Puck had the urge to punch Finn between his beady eyes. He shouldn't be surprised that Finn would try to make a play for Rachel. He spent the majority of their high school years playing with her head, so why give it a rest just because it's been eight long years? Instead of grabbing Finn's tie wrapping it around his neck, which Puck really thought would make him feel better, he answered curtly, "Yes, she still is."

"Sweet. I was thinking about asking her out tomorrow night...wondering if maybe we can't rekindle a little bit of that old flame, at least for the week anyway. After all, what happens in Lima stays in Lima!" For added dramatic affect, Finn raised his eyebrows in that "hubba-hubba" kind of way. He could see that he was getting to Puck and frankly, he was having fun doing it.

Puck's face reddened and his chest filled with rage. He would be damned if Finn made a play for Rachel this week. _Oh hell no! _ Puck slammed his cup down on the table, sending ice flying everywhere. A few people stopped and looked at him momentarily before returning to their conversations. Turning towards Finn, he said, "Sorry, dude. Rachel has a date with me tomorrow. And she'll probably be busy for the rest of the week so don't bother." Puck then stalked off, leaving Finn grinning broadly after him.

Finn walked back to Artie and Quinn. "He fell for it hook, line, and sinker!" He gave Artie a high-five and they all laughed at their deviousness.

"Good to know that after all these years, the idea of Finn Hudson and Rachel Berry still makes his blood boil," quipped Artie.

"Man, I thought he was going to stab me or something. You should have seen the look he gave me."

"Well thank you, Finn," Quinn said as she him. "I think you just helped advance our plan along nicely."

After storming away from Finn, Puck made a beeline for Rachel, who was deep in conversation with Santana. Interrupting with a nod to Santana, he said, "Hey, Berry. You're having dinner with me tomorrow night, got it? My house. 7pm."

Rachel stared, disbelieving the words coming from Puck's mouth. Finally, she nodded her head in the affirmative.

"Cool," Puck said, then he walked away.

When Rachel turned her attention back to Santana, she was unable to suppress the smile that had formed on her lips.


	6. The Dinner that Wasn't

**Author's note: So this is now officially rated M. And I may not get to update this again before Christmas. If I don't, have a great holiday everyone! But the story will definitely continue because I have at least 5-6 more chapters planned out and I can't stop now! After all, I need to see how this gets resolved myself. And I apologize if there are any grammatical errors. I edited it a couple of times but I'm really sleepy and need to go to bed like a responsible adult.**

* * *

"Quinn, I need your advice."

It was the morning after the New Directions reunion and Rachel was still in her pajamas, looking rather distressed. Quinn had just seen Sarah off to school but Artie and Willie were still asleep.

Quinn smiled to herself, hoping that finally, she would get to have the whole "what the Puck is going on" conversation with Rachel.

"Sure, honey, let's go talk." Quinn grabbed Rachel's arm and led her to the plush couch. Rachel sat cross-legged on one end, facing Quinn, and she sat the same way on the middle cushion. Quinn noticed that Rachel's cheeks were red and she looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"So, spill it," Quinn prompted.

Rachel looked down at her fingernails, fumbling with the clear polish that was chipping off. "I'm having dinner with Noah tonight."

Quinn did a mental cartwheel. "Well, Rach, why do you act like you just received a prison sentence? Puck is an old friend."

Rachel looked up and met Quinn's eyes. Her eyes wide, she whispered, "But there's something that you don't know about us…about Noah and I."

"And that would be?" Quinn motioned with her hands for Rachel to keep talking. She tried not to sound too excited, even though she wanted to run upstairs, throw Artie in his wheelchair, push him into the elevator, and get him down here so he wouldn't miss this Rachel Berry confessional. Ever the lady, Quinn maintained her composure, though, and did not budge.

"Where do I begin? Hmm…." Rachel thought for a moment. Finally, she began, "Do you remember our last summer together before we all went our separate ways?"

Quinn nodded. Of course she remembered. It had been an amazing summer.

"That whole summer was all about Noah and I flirting. I mean, it was constant, everywhere, all the time. I thought for a while that he was just being….well….he was just being his normal horny self but then I would catch him looking at me, watching me, when we were all hanging out together. We seemed to connect. And I realized that I had feelings for him but what was I supposed to do? This is PUCK we're talking about. His reputation scared me. And then, the night before I left for New York, Noah came to my house and…."

"And?"

"…..we had sex!" Rachel grabbed a pillow and buried her face in it. Quinn vaulted off the couch, grabbing Rachel by the shoulders. Her smile was huge as she looked into Rachel's watery eyes.

"OH. MY. GOD! I knew it! I knew it!" Quinn jumped around the room, acting like a 5-year-old who had just gotten her dream Barbie for Christmas. Rachel just stared at her.

"You knew it? How did you know it?"

Quinn clarified. "Well, I didn't know you'd actually slept with him but I knew, based on the vibes I was getting between the two of you, that something had happened years ago. But still…what's the big deal? I've had sex with him too, obviously. Sure, it was fantastic - and please don't tell Artie I just said that - but anyway, it's nothing to get upset about."

Quinn sat back down. Rachel put her hand on Quinn's arm. "The sex was…fabulous. Not that I had much…well, anything really….to compare it to but it was amazing. But after it was over, he asked me to stay and not go to New York. He wanted me to stay so we could try to make "us" work."

Quinn's eyes dropped. _So that was it…._ "And you didn't stay. You left."

"Yes…I left. Because my dreams meant more to me than he did. And look how that turned out. I don't have Broadway and…I don't have him, either." Rachel sighed, laying her head on the pillow in her lap. Quinn patted her back.

"Maybe Puck wants to try to connect with you again? You know….to try and be friends again?" Quinn offered.

Rachel sat back up. "That would be nice…but…."

"But what?"

"How do I stop picturing him naked every time I see him? It's been eight years but it's not an image I can forget….or even want to forget."

"Oh, Rachel. I think you just need to relax. Go to his house expecting to just make conversation and catch up. I'm sure the events of eight years ago won't even come up."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely," Quinn lied. She knew Puck well enough to know that it was definitely going to come up. And she hoped it did because Rachel needed to deal with it!

Rachel smiled, her shoulders less tense. Quinn was right. She was blowing it out of proportion. She would have a nice dinner with Noah and they would hopefully "bury the hatchet" and look forward to a future as friends.

Thanking Quinn for her advice, Rachel excused herself and headed toward the shower. The second Quinn heard the water turn on, she vaulted up the stairs and ran into their bedroom. Launching herself on the bed, she shook her husband's shoulder. "Artie, Puck and Rachel had sex eight years ago and asked her to stay and not go to New York but she went anyway and that's why he got all weird and that is why they acted so crazy the other night. They still love each other!" Quinn took a breath, continuing to bounce on the bed. Artie rolled over and looked at her groggily. "You were right, baby." Artie sat up. "So did Rachel say she loved him?"

Quinn sat back. "No, not exactly. But it was written all over her face. And she's having dinner at Puck's tonight." Quinn thought for a moment. "Hmm...maybe I should say something to Puck."

Artie held up his hand. "Whoa, honey, whoa. I know you're playing matchmaker but I don't want you to make anyone angry."

Quinn kissed his cheek. "Don't you worry, sweetie. I got this!" She then hopped off the bed and left the bedroom, ready to start her day and put the next phase of "Puck+Rachel=Love" into effect. Artie shook his head as she left, knowing there was no way he could stop her even if he had wanted to.

* * *

At 3pm, the "ONDs" (Original New Directions), as they had begun calling themselves, gathered in the banquet room of The Lima Bean. The group was happy to be together again and even more excited about the prospect of singing as a unit again. They decided focus on vocals today and choreography tomorrow. The music teacher in Rachel forced her to stand up and begin leading practice. As voices began blending for the first time in eight years, chills ran down Rachel's spine. It was amazing how fantastic the group sounded, even as rusty as they were. She looked at each one of them, her heart full of pride that she could call these people friends for life, even if they did lose touch. She knew that Will and Emma would be blown away on Saturday night and she couldn't wait to be there. As her eyes moved over each friend, her eyes finally settled on Noah's frame. Her gaze was met with a combination wink and leer. Rachel blushed and looked away, focusing instead on the top of Finn's forehead because it was a much safer view.

Practice ended at 5pm with a round of hugs and a few moans of dread regarding the choreography that would be done tomorrow. As people slowly began to leave to finish their evening by visiting with friends and family, Rachel packed up her music and gathered her purse. Kurt, talking to Finn in the corner, motioned for Rachel to come over.

Rachel approached the men and Finn wrapped his arm around Rachel, pulling her to him. Looking out of the corner of his eye, he saw Puck watching with an unpleasant expression on his face. _Good_, though Finn. Since Quinn and Artie had told them last night about the fireworks between Puck and Rachel, he wanted to see if he couldn't help things along. Rachel was an amazing woman, he knew. Even as an over ambitious, high-strung teenager with a thesaurus for a brain, Finn was able to appreciate her uniqueness. Sure, they had dated for a while but it hadn't worked out. Finn harbored no hard feelings whatsoever. Rachel deserved to be happy. And Puck, despite the fact that he had knocked up Finn's girlfriend when he was 17 and then lied about it for months, had miraculously turned into a wonderful father and a good man. If two people deserved a shot at love, it was Puck and Rachel. So if he pulled Rachel a little closer and hugged her a little too tight, he knew it was all for the cause of forcing Puck to "shit or get off the pot" as the saying went.

Quinn, noticing that Rachel was preoccupied, walked up to Puck. Standing on her tiptoes, she leaned forward, putting her lips close to his ear. In a very low voice, she said, "Rachel still pictures you naked." Without looking at his expression, she sauntered away. Puck stood there, staring after her, his mouth agape. Slowly, his glare was replaced by a grin.

* * *

7pm found Rachel standing outside Noah's house, staring at the door. She lifted her leg to take a step toward the porch but noticed she wasn't moving forward. Taking a deep breath, she gave herself a mental pep talk. _Just go, Rachel. Everything is going to be fine. You and Noah have been friends for far too long. Besides, it was eight years ago. It won't even be mentioned. Just go!_ Looking at the door again, Rachel plastered a huge smile on her face and forced herself to move forward. Standing directly in front of the door, she smoothed her yellow dress down, pulled her black sweater tighter over her shoulders, and knocked.

A few seconds later, the door was yanked open. Puck was standing there, a kitchen towel thrown over one shoulder, with his cell phone propped up against the other shoulder. He was wearing a sleeveless t-shirt, finally – blessedly - giving Rachel a view of the tattoo that had been teasing her for days. The tribal band that wrapped around his muscular bicep made Rachel swoon internally. _What is it about tattoos?_ She wondered. She, admittedly, had a thing for tattoos. _Perhaps it's the whole bad boy thing. Noah Puckerman is definitely the epitome of a bad boy…._ He motioned for her to step inside as he spoke into the phone.

"Sue, we've had this discussion before. I cannot authorize $6000 for the Cheerios budget to install a massage table and put a masseuse on retainer…..No, I don't care if you had one before….Yes, please do call your lawyer……I'm getting off the phone now, Sue. Goodbye, Sue." Noah hit the "end" button on his BlackBerry and looked up at Rachel. Grinning at her, he said, "Sorry, work sometimes carries over into my evenings."

Rachel laughed. "Sue Sylvester is still at it, huh?" _Good God, I forgot how amazing that smile of his was. _

"Hell yeah, she is. That woman drives me insane. She tries to scare me, gets up in my face, yells, makes grandiose statements, etc. Every time she throws a fit, I just cut her budget a little bit more. It seems to keep her in line. I think that tomorrow, something else will have to be removed from her budget. A personal masseuse, my ass!" He walked to the kitchen. Turning, he said, "C'mon in, by the way, Berry. I'm glad you agreed to come." _I can't believe she showed up. But then again, I didn't give her a chance to say no. _

"Uhhh, Noah. You didn't ask me. You TOLD me." _Damn, her breasts really are bigger. I'd like to tell her to get naked….PUCKERMAN! GET A FUCKING GRIP!_

He smirked. "That's right, I did. So get in here and keep me company while I finish dinner."

Smiling, and feeling more at ease by the second, Rachel followed him into the kitchen. She could smell something heavenly cooking and saw him getting fresh vegetables out of the fridge. Reaching into the fridge, he pulled out a head of romaine lettuce. "I hope you don't mind lasagna and salad. I was kind of craving it. And if I do say so myself, I make one hell of a lasagna." _I'm also pretty good in bed. _

"Oh, that sounds wonderful. And it smells divine….Can I help?"

Puck removed the towel from his shoulder. Looking to his left and then his right, he spotted the knife he needed. Picking it up, he offered it to her. "Wanna chop some lettuce?"

Rachel took the knife from him, rinsed the lettuce, drained it, and patted it dry. Puck stood against the countertop, watching as she made herself at home in his kitchen. He tried to ignore the clenching feeling in his chest as he gazed at her. _God, she's really beautiful. Really fucking beautiful. She looks so natural here…like she belongs in my kitchen. In my life…._ _Okay, I gotta stop this shit or I'm afraid I'm going to start singing like we're in one of her fucking musicals. _

When the lettuce was chopped, Rachel put it in a bowl. Turning to him, she found him watching her and became self-conscious. "What?" she asked. _He has got to stop staring at me like that. I have zero willpower around him, even now. _

Puck looked down at the floor. "You look really beautiful, Rachel." _Puckerman, shit! What are you doing? Stop talking. Don't say anything else! You sound like a damn Hallmark card._

Her face immediately felt hot as a bright blush crept across it. "Thank you, Noah." _And you look as sexy and as dangerous and as delicious as you did….well…as you have for at last half you entire life._

Stepping close to her, Puck leaned down. Tilting her chin up with this index finger, he said quietly, "I've missed you." _Dammit, Puckerman. Why don't you just fucking propose to her? _

Her eyes met his and she felt tears forming. _Don't cry, you idiot! He's being nice, that's all…DO. NOT. CRY. _

"…I will admit that you have crossed my mind a time or two over the years…," she finally offered. _A time or two an hour… every hour,..of every day of every month of every year for the past eight years. _

Puck laughed, the sound deep and low in his chest. "A time or two, huh?" He moved even closer to her, his body just a breath away. _Bullshit. Quinn said you still picture me naked. _"I have thought about you a time or two, too." _Like when I stare at your picture in the yearbook like I'm in some pathetic romance movie. Or on really late nights when I just need to get to sleep and the only thing that makes me sleep is to imagine you with me like you were that night…_

Rachel stared up into his eyes, her breath catching in her throat. His smell swirled around her, making her brain go completely fuzzy. _Do it, Rachel. Just do it._ Standing up on her toes, she put her hand behind his head and pressed his head down toward her, her lips forceful against his. Puck's arms instantly went around her waist, crushing her much smaller body into his larger frame. He kissed her back with all the pent-up emotion of the last eight years pouring from his body into hers. Never separating his lips from hers, he picked her up and sat her on his kitchen countertop. Pushing her legs apart slightly, he situated himself in between her knees. His hand slid around to the small of her back, where it settled possessively.

Pulling away from him, she looked down at him from her perch on the countertop. Her heart was pounding, the sound of blood zipping through her ears, and she felt a kind of euphoric dizziness coming over her. _I can't say no…if he asks, I won't say no._

"Do you remember," he whispered, his lips moving across her jaw, "the way threw yourself into my arms that night?"

_Oh God, of course I remember. _Rachel nodded, leaning her head back against the cabinet behind her.

He continued, in a hushed tone. "Do you remember how it felt? How our bodies melded together?" Rachel nodded again, wishing he would kiss her lips. Instead, Puck moved his lips down her neck and across her collarbone.

Do you remember how we wanted each other so badly," he whispered, his hands pushing her sweater off her shoulders. Pulling it down her arms, he threw it on his kitchen floor. His lips traveled down her right arm and then back up to her shoulder, "that we pulled each other's clothes off as soon as we made it to your room?"

Rachel shook her head, her eyes clenched tightly shut as she felt his hands move to her thighs, now bare as her dress rode high up on her body. _Please touch me…please touch me._

"Do you remember how it felt," he whispered, his hand sliding down between her legs, the heel pressing against her core through her panties, "when I slid inside you that very first time?"

Rachel's breath was ragged. Her body was on fire. The heat rushing to her center threatened to engulf her completely. His hands slid over the tops of her thighs and up to the waist of her panties. Gently, his fingers grazed along the elastic, pulling it from her body before sliding his fingertips below the silk edging. His left hand sunk lower into the silk. Rachel sighed, leaning back against the cabinets, her hips involuntarily pressing upwards toward his hand. _Move your hand lower….just a little lower. _

"You were so tight,'" he whispered. His fingertips slid down her body, resting just above her slickness. "You were so wet." His finger dipped into her folds, dancing in the moist arousal that the nearness of his body and the deliciousness of his words had caused. _Yessss…right there. _Sliding back out of her, he took his slickened finger to her clit, where he rubbed, gently but firmly. "You wanted me then….and you want me now," he whispered in her ear. "Rachel, look at me." _Open your eyes. I need to see that look in your eyes. _His fingers never stopped their work…sliding into her and then out again, slowly. He wanted to torture her like she had been doing to him for so many years.

She opened her eyes slightly. Her lust-filled gaze settled on his chest, which was rising and falling like he had just finished running a race. Her eyes travelled up to his swollen lips and then her gaze settled with his. "Tell me you want me, Rachel." _Please tell me you want me. I have got to have you again…even if it's just one more time._

"I…please, Noah….make love to me."

In a flash, she was off the countertop and in his arms. He reached down and picked her up, hell bent on carrying her to his bedroom to make sure she got there without having second thoughts. Stopping by the stove, he hit the "off" button.

Lasagna would have to wait.

**

* * *

Smut continued in Chapter 7, I promise. After all, they've only just begun!**


	7. Sexify My Love

**Author's note: And so the smut continues. I had THREE pages all typed out and it just didn't feel right. It was more like soap opera sex than what it would really be like with P & R. So I deleted the whole thing and started again. I love smut as next as the next girl but if it's not true to the character, why bother? And why we all know that Puck is capable of "making love" he's really all about screwing..... Anyway – I imagine "Sexify My Love" by the New Kids on the Block playing in the background during this, so that's why the chapter is named as it is. (I am a lifelong Blockhead. They are my other love in the entertainment world besides "Glee" (and Mark Salling.))**

* * *

Puck always told himself that if he _ever_ got another chance with Rachel, he would shower her with a night of romance and a full-on seduction. He would take her to a nice dinner (which meant the only French restaurant within driving distance of Lima) and then bring her back to his place, where his whole bedroom would be lit with candlelight. Soft music would be playing and perhaps they would share a bottle of wine in a bubble-filled Jacuzzi tub before he finally laid her out on his 800-count cotton sheets, where he would worship her body with his hands and lips before making love to her for hours…..

But reality is a bitch. As he and Rachel made their way to his bedroom, clothes were flying behind them. By the time they made it through the door, Rachel's dress was around her waist and Puck's shirt was off. His bed was unmade, the 200-count, on-clearance-at-Target-because-they-were-so-ugly sheets were crumpled, and clothes, books, and guitars were strewn everywhere. For a split second, he thought Rachel would bolt when she noticed that he lived like a pig. She glanced around the room for about half a second and he thought she was about to verbalize her disgust because the old Rachel would have done exactly that. But eight years had obviously changed her because instead, she shoved her dress to the floor (well, technically, to the pile of clothes that were obscuring the actual floor) and then launched herself on him, wrapping her legs around his waist. Puck gripped her ass and slammed her up against the armoire. She cried out as his lips slid down her heck. Her eyes closed, her hands were in his hair and she was almost groaning. His lips latched onto one very erect nipple and he sucked, and then bit a little too hard. Rachel jumped and cried out. Puck was already so hard that he was afraid he would lose it before ever getting inside her. With her legs still wrapped around him, he walked to the bed and dropped her next to it. She started to crawl onto it and he stopped her. He shoved his pants and boxers down and kicked them to the top of an 18-inch pile of dirty clothes and stepped up to Rachel. With absolutely zero tenderness, he yanked her bra down and then tugged her panties down so forcefully that the delicate lace ripped. Once again, she tried to crawl up on the bed and once again, he stopped her. Wrapping his arms around her, he pressed himself hard against her. Taking his dick in his hand, he nudged her legs apart and rubbed it across her now bare clit. Her eyes rolled back and a shudder washed through her body. Turning her around to face away from him, he bent her over the mattress. Then he dropped to his knees. In one quick motion, Rachel felt his hands push her legs apart. For a millisecond, she felt hot breath on her thighs and then _oh. My. God! _Puck's tongue made contact with her dripping wet folds and Rachel screamed into the mattress. He swiped his tongue down the length of her slit before settling on her clit. His tongue flitted over it, gently, then with more pressure, then with barely a touch. And then he sucked it in between his lips and Rachel's knees went weak. Puck caught her, wrapping his muscular around her thighs to bolster her up. Rachel was moaning now, saying something into the mattress. _It's just like Rachel to try to talk now_. Puck couldn't understand what she was saying.

"What, Rachel?" He stopped his oral assault long enough to ask her. As soon as the question left his mouth, he plunged his tongue deep into her center and she cried out again.

"Mfffmm mmm….." She replied, her face buried in a rather unsightly comforter that looked like it was purchased at Lumberjacks-R-Us.

"What??"

Rachel lifted her head from the mattress and looked back toward him.

"I asked," she enunciated for effect, "for you to please fuck me!"

Puck was momentarily stunned. Rachel Berry, swearing? Then he realized that it was the most beautiful swear he'd ever heard and he better not waste any more time. Standing up, he pushed her back down, lifted her ass up slightly, and slid himself into her from behind. They both grunted loudly as his thick length sunk into her. Puck clenched his teeth, willing himself to actually try to give her some pleasure before cumming. Her warmth surrounded him and he felt himself go weak. It was absolutely _fucking heaven. _As she began backing up against him, groaning and cursing in a very un-Rachel-like fashion, he gave up on willpower. Grabbing her hips, he slammed into her as hard and as deep as he could. He reached forward to grab at her breasts, pulling the nipples between his fingers hard. Anytime he inflicted a little bit of pain, Rachel seemed to cry out louder.

"You. Are. Fucking. Hot. Berry," he coupled each word with a powerful thrust. Suddenly feeling the overpowering need to see Rachel's face as he claimed her, he quickly jerked out of her. She grunted, her face scrunched up in annoyance by his sudden departure. Grabbing her, he lifted her up on the bed, turning her so that she was on her back. He crawled on top of her, pushed her legs open again with his knees, and plunged back into her. Dipping to kiss her gently, which was completely contrary to the powerful, fluid movements of his pelvis, he locked eyes with her. In the instant that chocolate brown eyes met green hazel ones, Puck lost all composure. Her eyes had always been the pathway that led directly to his heart. Unable to hold back any longer, he cried out her name as he came. The feel of his thickness expanding inside her seconds before he came sent Rachel over the edge and they both tumbled off the precipice together.

Shaking, he pulled his softening member from her body and collapsed next to her. Closing his eyes, he tried to slow his breathing and regulate his heartbeat. He heard Rachel sniffle and he looked over at her, only to see tears leaking from the corner of her eyes. His heart constricted. He KNEW he should have romanced her more. He was such a FUCKUP! Rolling on his side to face her, he said, "Baby….I'm sorry. I know it was fast but….I mean I thought you enjoyed it…..God, I'm sorry you're so upset."

As he rambled his apologies for his apparent sub-par performance, Rachel's face transformed into a very Puck-like smirk. Slowly rolling her head to the side to meet his eyes, she said simply, "Puck, shut up."

He stopped talking, taken aback because she never called him Puck. He looked crestfallen at her order.

"You can be a very stupid man, sometimes," Rachel added.

"Gee, Berry, just kick a man while he's already down," Puck grumbled.

She smacked him playfully on the chest. "I wasn't crying because you sucked in the sack. On the contrary! I was crying because I couldn't believe that I was back here…like this…with you."

"Is that so awful?" he asked quietly.

Rachel was silent for a moment. She was on the verge of pouring out her heart to him so that nothing remained unarticulated. But then she remembered that in a few short days, she would leave his life – again – for New York – again. Finally, she said, "It's not awful at all…." She seemed unable to say more.

They laid in companionable silence for a few minutes. Both were full of emotions, thoughts, and words but nothing was voiced. Puck wondered how he would even say what needed to be said. Seeing Rachel made his brain go blurry, his chest feel tight, and his dick get hard. _How do you put those feelings into words?_ He wondered. Finally, Puck broke the silence.

"So, do you ever think about that night?"

Rachel didn't have the energy to lie. "All the time."

Puck smiled in the dark. _Thank God I'm not the only one._ "Do you have any regrets?"

His question was met with silence. She took a breath like she was about to say something and then she stopped.

"Rachel?" he prodded, wanting an answer but dreading the actual words that he was sure would be coming from her mouth.

"Only that I didn't stay when you asked. I regret that I thought my future stardom was the most important thing to me."

Puck felt himself start to tear. He was so relieved by her answer. Sure, it didn't change anything now, right here in the present. But it meant that back then, he really had mattered to her.

Rachel scooted over to him, turning over on her stomach so that she could lay her head on his chest. He wrapped her arms around her, loving the feeling of warm flesh against warm flesh. When Rachel Berry was in his arms, life stood still. He wanted to stay like this forever. But he WAS Puck and certain things still had to be said.

"So," he began as he dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "How often, exactly, do you still picture me naked?"

He felt Rachel's body began to shake with laughter. "I am going to KILL Quinn," she sputtered.

The sound of their laughter mixed together and floated through the empty house. The laughter was soon replaced by the sound of passion as the two former-now-current lovers connected once again.

* * *

Standing on the sidewalk outside Puck's house, Quinn was craning her neck. She heard Artie clear his throat behind her.

"What, may I ask, are you doing?"

Quinn turned to him and glared. "I'm trying to see what they're doing in there!"

"Quinn, baby, Oh love of my life – perhaps the shades are closed because they don't WANT you to see what they're doing?"

"But Artie! It's 10:30 at night. If Rachel were just having dinner, she would have been back by now. And there are no lights on in the house but Puck's truck is there. That means they're in there! I think they're having sex!"

"At least some of us are," Artie mumbled under his breath.

"I heard that, deary."

"Good… now will you please stop being nosy and come back into the house. Your husband would like a little action in the sack, too, you know. If Rachel comes back tonight, I am sure you'll hear her, vault out of bed, and jump her for information and all the dirty details. But if I know Puck like I know Puck, she won't be back until morning. So PLEASE come back to the house!"

Quinn pouted. "Fine, you win….I just wanted to make sure my matchmaking efforts were having positive results."

As they began to head back to the house, Quinn stopped. "Do you think we should try to go listen outside Puck's bedroom window?"

"QUINN!"

"Okay, okay….let's go back inside, you spoilsport."

* * *

Puck glanced at the clock as he forked a bite of lasagna. 3:23am. Rachel sat at the table across from him, devouring her piece.

"Sorry dinner is a little late," he apologized sheepishly.

She smiled across the table at him. "Under the circumstances, I think that's okay."

They ate in silence, both awash in raw emotion. Rachel felt like she was packed full of emotional dynamite. She wanted to cry, sing, dance, and scream at the same time. Puck just kept replaying the feel of her orgasming around him over and over in his head, which was making concentrating on the food in front of him very difficult.

"Noah, don't you have to be at work in, like, 4 hours?" Rachel questioned, eyeing the clock.

Puck sighed. "Yeah, I do." He didn't want to think about work right now.

"Then I should go," Rachel said quietly.

"No, don't go. Stay," he pleaded.

"Won't you be tired?"

"Are you saying you're not ready to let me sleep?" His voice was hopeful.

She thought for a moment. Then her lips curled into a seductive smile and she took a sip of wine. "I wasn't planning on it."

"Sweet," was his reply.

They walked hand-in-hand back to his bedroom a little while later, both having silently decided that tonight was theirs to simply feel. As flesh met flesh, lips pressed against lips, bodies trembled, and voices cried out, emotions were conveyed. They would deal with the "what comes next?" question, and all that the answer to that question truly involved, in the light of the dawning day.

* * *

**Author's note pt 2: It's Christmas Eve so this is short. But I wanted to get this posted because there are 4-5 more chapters and I'm already working on the next one. Have a great holiday, everyone, and I'll see ya on the flip side of it! As always, thanks for the reviews. I SIMPLY ADORE THEM!!!!**


	8. Falling

**Author's note: I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas (for those of you that celebrate it, that is!) Ours was pretty good, despite copious amounts of family drama that makes me want to light myself on fire sometimes (to quote our favorite, devilishly sexy badass). All I can say is that I hope 2010 is better than 2009. There weren't too many bright spots in my life this year (expect "Glee" of course!) **

* * *

Rachel had never been given the third degree before the morning she appeared back at the Abrams household just after 7am. She tried to ease through the door ninja-style and quietly head upstairs for some much-needed sleep but was waylaid by Quinn just as her foot made contact with the bottom step.

"Rachel Berry! You will get your ass in this kitchen right now and give me every single detail beginning with dinner last night and ending with when you walked through my door. I want to know what you talked about, what you ate, how many times bodily fluids were exchanged, and you are to spare absolutely ZERO details!" Quinn grabbed her by the arm and yanked her into the kitchen. Rachel ceased putting up a fight because knew she was not going to escape this inquisition. No way.

Dropping herself into the chair at the table, Rachel put her head in her hands. "Quinn, I am so tired...can we talk about this later?"

Quinn took in Rachel's flushed cheeks, tussled hair, swollen lips, and bloodshot eyes and laughingly said, "Talk about this later? You look like you have been thoroughly, completely fucked and you want to talk about this later?"

"Quinn! You're so vulgar!" Rachel giggled at the preposterousness of the entire conversation.

"Me? I'm vulgar! You just had sex with Noah Puckerman, like, three times and I am vulgar?"

"Five times, not three," Rachel corrected, ".... not that I was counting."

Quinn squealed and pulled the chair up close to Rachel. "Five times? Holy hell! Can you walk?"

Rachel sighed, a lusty, dreamy smile flashing across her face. "It's painful...but yes."

Quinn leaned in, her face inches from Rachel's. "So tell me every single detail and do not leave out a single orgasm!"

"Quinn…seriously…." Rachel was exasperated.

Quinn placed her hand on Rachel's forearm. "Rachel, dear…when you're married, the sex in a relationship has a tendency to…slow down. So therefore, I must live vicariously through you. And if you don't start talking right this second, I'm going to call Puck and get the details from him instead. Either way, I will get these damn details!"

Acquiescing, Rachel started to talk…and ended up spending an hour that morning reliving her amazing, wonderful, emotionally painful night in the arms of Noah Puckerman with an enraptured Quinn Fabray-Abrams looking on.

* * *

Puck wandered through the halls of McKinley, looking ragged. Considering he only got 47.5 minutes of sleep, he thought it was pretty badass that he even made it to work at all.

_Rachel._

His every thought was about her. He would walk past her old locker and the vision of her closing her eyes and arching her back against him would assault his brain.

_Rachel._

Passing the choir room, he would imagine her voice as she cried out his name.

_Rachel._

Purposefully striding into the lunchroom (because hours and hours of sex makes even the toughest dude starved enough to eat high school cafeteria gruel), he would picture her daintily eating at 3am this morning, prior to taking her back to his bedroom and ravishing her again.

By the end of the school day, he had decided that if he were any more of a pussy, he'd have to start buying himself tampons. _C'mon dude! You've been laid before! Hell, you've been laid by Berry before. GET. A. FUCKING. GRIP! _Balling his fists over his frustration with his own brain and his inability to think about anything that wasn't related to a certain small-statured brunette, he felt the urge to go work off some of his pent-up emotion. He was pissed at his own wussiness and yet so full of confusion, angst, happiness and…that other feeling…that he didn't know what to do with himself. So before he had to go to Glee practice (_I can't believe I have to go to Glee practice! I'm fucking 27 years old!), _he went to the gym to get his adrenaline pumping and work off some serious sexual tension. Plus punching the shit out of the bag never failed to make him feel better.

After showering, downing a Latte from Starbucks, and taking a seriously deep breath to get control of his emotions, he sauntered into the banquet room of The Lima Bean, prepared to pretend like nothing was different. And then his eyes met hers…

* * *

As soon as Puck walked into the room, Quinn noticed that Rachel reddened. She nudged Artie, who sat back to enjoy the show. Having been told _every single_ detail by Quinn after Rachel went to sleep this morning, Artie couldn't help but feel a bit pervy – like he was watching the opening scene from a porno starring two of his friends. Puck stopped walking the moment he walked in and locked eyes with Rachel. He slowly approached her, leaned over, and whispered something in her ear. Rachel blushed, smacked his shoulder, and melted into his arms. In front of the entire former original members of the McKinley High School Glee Club, Puck surrounded Rachel with his muscular arms and kissed her like he hadn't seen her in…hours.

* * *

The second they locked eyes, Puck knew he was fucked. All his bravado went out the window. The only thing he wanted to do was wrap his arms around her and kiss her…so that's what he did. As they listened to a rather shrill whistle followed by a catcall courtesy of Mike, Rachel smiled into his lips. But at that second, all the nervousness and unexpressed emotion that had been coursing through her body all day like a double-shot of espresso simply disappeared. Noah made everything seem okay…. until she remembered the plane ticket that would return her to her real life on Sunday morning.

_Well, shit._

Both Rachel and Puck managed to make it through Glee practice without ripping each other's clothes off and doing it on one of Artie's cheap pressed-wood tables in full view of their friends and Puck's daughter. Though they stole glances at each other repeatedly, they were both professional adults – educators, in fact – and knew how to remain composed, even in the most difficult (and sexually charged) situations. They ran through all the songs but Rachel's solo. In typical diva-Rachel style, she announced that she was practicing it privately and would be ready to perform but wasn't quite ready to practice in front of everyone else. Truth be told, she hadn't even picked out a song yet. She had been…distracted. But she avowed that before she fell asleep that night, she would get a song selected and run through it at least twice.

As everyone gathered up their belongings when practice was over, Sarah propelled herself into her father's arms.

"You're still taking me shoe-shopping tonight, right, Daddy?"

_Fuck._

Despite the fact that he was exhausted, he couldn't break a promise to Sarah. He would never break a promise to his daughter.

"Sure, baby. We'll go now. But do you care if Rachel goes with us?"

Rachel turned to look at Noah and his daughter when she heard her name. "Go with you where?"

"I promised Sarah we'd go buy her some new shoes tonight. We're going to the mall and then will probably grab some crap-food at the food court…I know it doesn't sound as exciting as going to a Broadway show or visiting the Statue of Liberty but it's all we got…. Do you wanna go?"

Rachel glanced over at Quinn, who nodded encouragingly. Turning back to Noah, she smiled. "Absolutely."

As the three of them begun to head out, Quinn snagged Puck's arm, pulled him down, and whispered, "Control yourself. No sex in front of my daughter." Puck just glared, ignoring the shit-eating grin on Quinn's face, and swaggered away to catch up with his two dates for the evening.

Lima Mall was bustling with evening shoppers when the three of them arrived. Puck cursed himself when he realized that he had parked on the wrong side of the mall again and they would now have to deal with thousands of idiots just to make it over to the shoe store. But then he looked to his left and saw Rachel looking up at him with _those eyes_ and realized that taking his sweet-ass time to walk through the mall wouldn't be such a bad thing, after all. As soon as they walked through the doors, Sarah zipped off into the toy store. They always stopped at the toy store. Even though she wasn't one of those whiny kids who fell to the ground, kicking and screaming, when she was denied a toy, she always begged just a little bit. And Puck almost always gave in. Fatherhood had made him such a wimp…but the love he had for that little girl was unlike most anything else he had ever experienced. Except for HER.

They walked from one aisle to the next in the toy store, watching Sarah zip from that video game to that doll to those cool dress-up clothes. She finally landed in the Barbie aisle, where she went wide-eyed over the newest butterfly Barbie. Turning to her father with pleading eyes, he groaned, jerked the box off the shelf, and tossed it at her with a "here, squirt." She squealed and headed to the checkout counter. Rachel could only watch as their father-daughter interaction played out. It made her heart ache. He was such a complex man, so full of passion, love, energy, cockiness, and intelligence. And it was all wrapped up in a delicious, muscular, dark-eyed, mysterious package. Rachel sighed to herself, trying to decide at that moment if she was in absolute heaven or if she was a glutton for punishment because it was all going to end again.

The three of them ambled out of the toy store and headed toward their destination on the other side of the mall. Somewhere between window-shopping at the Coach store (for Rachel) and Dick's Sporting Goods (for Puck), their hands intertwined. The feeling of their hands together was unbelievably comforting to both of them – like a small gesture that indicated they knew they were linked. As they walked, neither one really said much. Rachel was content just to _be_ and Puck…well…what the hell would he say anyway? It wasn't until Sarah needed help tying a pair of shoes that Puck finally let go of Rachel's hand. After Sarah, at last, settled on a pair of pink shoes (which Rachel championed because she still loved pink) and Puck paid, they all headed to the food court. Puck and Sarah had an unspoken agreement – she got to eat junk because her mother never let her eat junk.

Puck's lack of sleep had diminished his appetite so he ordered a plain hamburger and a small fry. Rachel got a grilled chicken sandwich and a side salad. Sarah sat happily between her father and Rachel, shoving French fries loaded with buckets of ketchup into her small mouth as she swung her feet back and forth beneath the table. To anyone walking past, they looked like the perfect little family, out to spend some money on a Thursday night. To anyone who happened to glance their way, they also looked like two people in love with each other. To Rachel, they looked like what she had always wanted but never allowed herself to dream about. To Puck, they looked like a scene straight out of his dreams – if only for a little while.

Sarah was asleep by the time they got to Puck's house. Puck quickly dialed Quinn's number and told her that Sarah was asleep so he would just put her to bed at his house and send her home when she got up in the morning. Unbuckling her seat belt, he picked up the sleeping child and carried her inside with Rachel following, loaded down with Sarah's new Barbie and shoes. She waited in the living room while Puck tucked Sarah into her bed.

When he returned, she could see that the conflict in his head was written across his handsome face.

"I'd…I'd ask you to stay but Sarah is here…"

Rachel put her hand on Noah's chest. "I understand…absolutely." She could completely respect his need to protect his daughter from exposure to such things…especially after what they had done the night before in that very house.

Puck took her hand and walked her to the door. They stared at each other, both of them barely breathing, waiting for the other one to make a move. Unable to handle the wait anymore, Rachel popped up on her toes and pressed her lips to his. He returned the kiss deeply, feeling his resolve to not let her spend the night slowly evaporating. Rachel could apparently feel his emotional tug-of-war because she pulled away, kissed her fingers and pressed them to his lips, whispered "goodnight" and let herself out.

They both let out heavy sighs as they parted ways.

* * *

Rachel was slipping out of her pants and pulling her nightgown over her head when her BlackBerry buzzed. Picking it up, she smiled.

Noah: _I wish you were._

Rachel: _Me too._

Noah: _What are we going to do?_

Rachel: _I have no idea._

Noah: _Glad I'm not the only one confused. Goodnight, Berry._

Rachel: _Sleep tight._

As Rachel drifted off to sleep, she remembered the promise she had made to herself about picking out a song for Saturday. But thanks to her evening with the Puckermans, she knew exactly what she was going to sing. She barely even needed to practice because she'd been singing it in her heart for years.

**

* * *

Author's note part 2: Rachel's song is going to have significant meaning, of course. Since starting this story, I've already picked out, and then discarded, about 7 different songs. (I have very strange music tastes and other than New Kids on the Block and Glee, I don't listen to almost ANY mainstream music. I love soundtracks, 80s and 90s love songs, 90s country love ballads, etc…..) There are just TOO many great songs that could fit this story. AHHH! I've got to decide soon – the show for Mr. Schue is coming up in Chapter 10!**


	9. With a Little Help From My Friends

**Author's note: 2nd chapter in one day! I freakin' love weekends. Writing is so addictive! And thanks for the reviews that I continue to get. They make m smile! This chapter is so angsty, by the way.…**

* * *

Rachel never considered herself a masochist until she returned to Lima under the pretense of sending the Schuester family off to begin their new life by bringing back wonderful memories. She knew when she sent her acceptance that there was no way she could avoid seeing Noah Puckerman unless he was on a covert mission to Zanzibar when the reunion was scheduled. But unfortunately, he happened to be an athletic director at his alma mater in Lima, and not an international undercover agent, so her plans of avoidance went up into flames. And then she rationalized that she would see him and it wouldn't be any big deal. It had been eight years since they had shared one night of passion. What was the big to-do, anyway? On that Friday morning, a mere 48 hours before her plane took her back to her life in Brooklyn, NY, Rachel had accepted exactly how much of a big deal it really, truly was. That night with Noah had haunted her for eight years. And as she lay there, tears streaming silently down her cheeks, she prayed that her newest night with Noah wouldn't haunt her for eight more. But if she was honest with herself, the very idea of leaving him again made her simply want to die. Fling herself out of the Abrams' attic bedroom window. Step in front of McKinley High School bus #22. _DIE._ On the surface, it seemed so simple to just stay. But she had a life in Brooklyn. Sure, it wasn't exactly her dream life but she truly loved her job. And it was the middle of a school year – she couldn't just up and leave. She had always prided herself on being a responsible professional. And now she was afraid that her commitment to seeing things through would destroy her life. Perhaps it would be easier if she thought Noah felt the same way. Oh, she knew that they had…something. The intense lovemaking, shared glances, and deep kisses were all testament to the fact that they shared something deep. And she remembered that night eight years before when he had asked her to stay. But did he love her? She can't imagine that he did. He was Noah Puckerman for God's sake. Noah Puckerman! No, he wasn't a 17-year-old Mohawked asshole anymore…but his cocky attitude and maddening confidence showed that he wasn't completely different from the teenaged boy who had wormed his way into her heart all those years ago. And his love of sex was legendary. Factoring in that he had just ended an engagement prior to her arrival, it was obvious to Rachel that Noah hadn't spent one minute pining after her once she left all those years ago. Nope…the pining had definitely been one-sided. Grunting, Rachel kicked the blankets off and rolled to the edge of the bed. _My life sucks._

* * *

Sitting at his kitchen table, sipping a cup of coffee, Puck felt like shit. He was much better rested, of course, but he woke up in a foul mood. Waking up with a throbbing erection and unable to think of anything but Rachel, his day was not starting off well. Realizing that tomorrow they would say goodbye to Will and Emma, and then all of his high school friends would be leaving too, made him even more depressed. And then Rachel…Rachel would leave him again a scant 48 hours from now. THAT thought made him want to put a fist through a window. For a second, he wished he was back in high school so he could find some unsuspecting nerd to toss into a dumpster. Dealing with rage was much easier when he was a kid. Now, his only option was to sit here and stew. What in the hell was he going to do? He softened for a moment, thinking about the amazing woman she had become. If only she would stay…But Noah knew one thing: He had asked Rachel to stay once before and she said no, ripping his heart out of his chest. He would be damned if he was going to let her break him again. He planned to relish every single second spent with her between now and when she left, tuck those memories into his brain once her plane left the tarmac on Sunday, and then get the fuck on with his Rachel-free life. He could fall out of love, he knew. He had just never tried before.

* * *

At Thursday's practice, everyone had decided that they would practice Saturday morning. Friday night was all about getting together and hanging out. Artie had suggested that he, Finn, Matt, Mike, Puck, and Kurt get together at one of the local watering holes and just "chill." The girls – Quinn, Santana, Brittany, Mercedes, Tina, and Rachel – were heading off to a local restaurant. They had been singing and dancing for days. It was time to just have fun. They all knew that the farewell dinner tomorrow night would be tearful and sad so tonight, they were letting loose a little.

At 6pm that evening, Puck sighed as he waiting for Artie to finish getting ready. He hadn't seen Rachel all day. When he had arrived, he had hoped he could at least talk to her for a second…just look into her eyes for a moment…but she and Quinn had already left. In one of the foulest moods he had ever seen Puck be in, Artie led the way and they headed out for boys night.

Once the guys were settled around a table in the back corner of a smoky bar, Finn ordered a round of beers for everyone except Kurt, who requested and apple martini. Conversation flowed easily as old friends shared details of their personal lives. Finn's photography studio was taking off and he was developing some romantic interest in the single mother that lived across the hall from him. Matt loved his life on the road. Mike was honestly freaking tired of dancing. Artie was insanely happy. Kurt needed to get laid. And Puck said absolutely nothing.

"Dude, what's with you?" Matt asked Puck after watching him rub his thumb up and down on the condensation on the outside of his beer bottle for nearly two minutes. Puck didn't even hear Matt speak. Finn punched him in the shoulder.

"C'mon man…what's up?" Mike prodded. Kurt leaned in a bit closer, hoping to pull some juicy gossip out so he could tell the girls lady because truthfully, his allegiances had never truly changed.

Puck looked up at the 10 eyeballs staring at him. "I'm fucked, guys," was all he said.

"….Because?" Finn said, clearly annoyed.

Puck waved his hand at them, trying to shoo the conversation away so that he could go back to almost literally crying into his beer like a sad-ass country song.

Noticing the pained expression on his best friend's face, Artie decided to throw Puck under the bus with the hopes of a positive outcome.

"Our dear friend Puck," Artie began, "is head over friggin' heels in love with our dear friend Rachel and he doesn't know what to do."

It was at that moment that Kurt had decided to take a drink of his apple martini, which was spit out of his mouth at warp speed upon the announcement that Noah Puckerman was in love with _anyone_. The rest of the guys just stared at Puck, their mouths agape. Puck just shrugged his shoulders and, motioning across the table, said, "what Artie said."

Then the five guys, all of which had seen Puck go through women like gym socks back in high school, began lobbing questions at him like the paparazzi did to a celebrity. Finally, Puck got sick of the "Dude, tell us everything" and "What the fuck, dude" statements that were being thrown at him, so he began to tell the story, starting with the summer after Rachel's graduation and ending with his thoughts this morning. But because he respected Rachel, he refused to give all the details. Instead, he just quickly acknowledged that they had sex and moved on because, dammit, to him, it wasn't about the sex and it was none of their business what he did with her. She was _his_…except she wasn't.

So after Puck spilled his guts like a fucking teenage girl, Kurt asked simply, "So, what's the problem here? She obviously loves you, too. I can even see that and the sexually charged glances of heterosexuals usually turn my stomach. Rachel is divine, Puck. All you have to do is say, "Rachel, I love you" and you're good!"

"But it's not that simple, man! She turned me down eight years ago for New York. I know she'll fucking do it again. She loves that stupid town." Puck frowned, his brows deeply furrowed.

"And you don't think she loves you more than that? She's not an 18-year-old, star struck girl anymore, Puck," Matt added.

"I hear what you're saying guys…believe me, I do….. Can we please change the subject? My bitching is getting old. God, we're probably going to all leave here with ovaries. Can someone please talk about sports or boobs or something?"

Everyone laughed, and then Kurt launched into a long discourse about finding the right shoes for Saturday. Yep, they were all definitely leaving with ovaries.

* * *

Across town, the ladies were repeating a scene that was very much the same. Rachel stared into her Dr. Pepper glass like it was going to reveal all the answers she needed if she just waited long enough. Quinn could see the pain etched across Rachel's face and gently patted her hand beneath the table. Rachel gave Quinn a sad, watery smile and went back to gazing at Dr. Pepper bubbles. She heard Tina say something about her husband and how they had met. Mercedes talked about her career and the trouble she had with finding a fine-ass black man who wasn't intimidated by her success. Santana shared a story of a secret tryst with her married landlord, which left Quinn slightly scandalized. And Brittany started talking about molecular structure, which caused everyone but Rachel to sputter in surprise. The new, intelligent Brittany was very difficult to get to. When it was Rachel's turn to share, they were greeted with her gazing lovingly at Dr. Pepper.

Santana, who had always been perceptive (a trait she had developed in high school so that she could pick out the weaklings, identify their worst traits, and then torture them with her knowledge), had been watching Rachel for a while without saying a word. Unable to take the sadness that was nearly palpable, she finally said, "Puckerman really did a job on you, didn't he?"

Rachel's brown eyes grew wide. "Huh?" She asked innocently.

Mercedes wagged her finger at Rachel. "We're not stupid, honey. We all saw that kiss yesterday. We know what those looks mean."

Immediately, tears began pouring down Rachel's cheeks. "But I leave on Sunday. I have to leave again. But I feel like I'm going to lose it if I leave….He's so amazing…He's even more wonderful than he was back then."

Mercedes laughed. "You're apparently the only one who thought he was wonderful back then. I thought he was a prick."

Brittany added. "An asshole."

"Man whore," was Tina's contribution.

"Douchebag," suggested Santana.

"Girls!" Quinn exclaimed, coming to his defense. "Puck wasn't like that." Quinn stopped for a moment, thinking back in time. "Wait…..yeah, okay, he was. Anyway, Puck may have been like that then…but he's really changed. He's a really great father, I have to tell you. Sarah adores him and he dotes on her. And in all honesty, he's been in love with Rachel since the summer we graduated."

"What?" Rachel asked, looking overly surprised. "What do you mean, he's been in love with me since graduation?"

Quinn put an arm around Rachel's shoulder and hugged her close. And then she began retelling all she knew, along with all that she had suspected, to the women around the table.

When the women parted ways at the end of their evening, Rachel's tears had been replaced by a huge grin. Rachel knew exactly what she needed to do…if only it would work!


	10. Put on Quite A Show

**Author's note: I'm working fast and furious on this story. Once I start writing, I have trouble stopping – it's just a thing with me. But I'm having to do a bit of a rewrite. I had the last chapter and the epilogue already written when I realized that it just didn't fit anymore. R&P have grown more than I thought they would during this short week. So I've made some changes. But oh well…it's all good! 2-3 more chapters to go, ya'll! Warning – smut just below this!!!!**

* * *

After Quinn and Rachel returned from their night out with the girls, Rachel went up to bed. She couldn't sleep, though, because she kept replaying what Quinn had said. _Noah changed after I left….she always catches him looking at my picture….she thinks he's always loved me. _ Then she thought about her epiphany. Why she hadn't figured it out before was beyond her. She was normally smarter about these things. But that was the whole problem with Noah – he took up most of her brain and didn't leave much room for thought. But first thing in the morning, she was going to make a phone call and see if it was possible to make her plan happen. And if it was, **everything** was going to be okay. Over and over, her thoughts swirled in her head until she fell asleep with a smile on her lips.

But sleep didn't last. She woke up again at 2am with a very different feeling - a burning in her groin that made her . She felt need one thing – Noah. She felt herself grow hot as she thought about the feel of his skin on hers and the touch of his lips. She slipped her hand down inside her panties and – _oh! Soo wet…_

Sighing, she reached behind her and grabbed her BlackBerry. Opening up the messaging application, she typed out "I need you" and pressed send.

Closing her eyes, she waited a few minutes. _Maybe he's asleep. It is very late. Maybe he got drunk out with the guys and he's passed out._

A few more minutes passed and she was about to put her BlackBerry back up and take care of this desire herself when her phone buzzed. Reading "what are you waiting for?" was all it took. She jumped out of bed and crept down the stairs and out the door like a teenager sneaking out.

She stepped on his front porch and raised her hand to knock when she heard, "I'm over here, Berry."

Looking over, she spies him sitting in a darkened corner of the wide porch. Completely invisible from the road due to a stand of trees that lined the front and side of the wrap-around porch, she never would have seen him.

Rachel walked quietly over to him and stood before him. He has a beer in one hand and his phone in another.

"I didn't think you were going to respond," she whispered.

He was quiet for a moment. Finally he said, "I almost didn't."

She felt her heart do this little palpitation thing that almost took her breath away. And then he continued, "I know you're leaving and I wonder why I bother." Then he looked up at her in the moonlight, dark eyes locking with dark eyes. "And then I remembered that I want every moment with you that I can have."

The words shot through her body, making her both want to cry and fling herself onto him. Instead, she stepped closer to him. He sighed, setting down the items he was holding, and pulled her close. She was standing so he leaned his head against her flat stomach and rested his arms around her back. She bent down, dropping kisses along the top of his head.

He finally looked up at her with an expression that was unreadable due to the darkness of the porch. "If you stay here much longer, I'm going to take you right here on this porch, you realize that, don't you?"

Heat flashed across her face as she imagined them doing what he had just said. She cupped his face in her hands, kissed him on the nose and said, "That sounds delightful."

His eyes went wide momentarily, and then with a growl he grabbed her and crushed her down to him, sliding his tongue into her mouth. He pulled her onto his lap in the armless chair and they sat that way for a moment, grinding against each other. With only the thinness of their undergarments to separate them, the feeling was intense. Rachel's head was thrown back as Puck kissed her cheeks, ears, neck, and collarbone. Not giving a flying fuck about where they were, he grabbed her nightgown and pulled it over her head. She looked both ways, remembering that they were outside when the cold night air assaulted her. "No one can see you," he whispered before palming on breast in his hand and sucking the other one between his teeth.

Rachel slowly untangled herself from Puck's grip, much to his confusion. But when she sank to her knees and reached her hand inside is boxers, he threw his head back. It was the first time her lips had ever made contact with him there and the moment her warm tongue met the head of his dick, he groaned and wrapped his hands in her hair. She nibbled up one side of his length and down the other. She nibbled around the base and down over his balls. He grunted, whispering, "tease" and tried to guide himself fully inside her mouth. She resisted the pressure and gently, deftly placed a kiss on the very tip. "Rachel…for fuck's sake…" Before he could get the rest of his complaint out, she sucked him into her mouth and didn't stop until her lips met the skin of his pelvis. Guiding her head, he slid himself in and out of her mouth until he felt like he could hold it no longer. He popped himself out of her mouth, palmed his dick in his hand, leered at her naked form and whispered, "climb on."

Holding his dick steady, Rachel positioned herself over it and then slid down on him. They both cried out in loud whispers when he sank into her to the hilt. She began rocking her hips, moving in a way to ensure that his dick his just _that_ spot with every thrust. There was no gentleness that night. Puck was too emotionally raw to do anything but ram in and out of her. She began to mew in the way that he knew meant she was close. He slipped his hand between them and rubbed her clit. Just then, his dick connected with that spot deep inside her again and her walls contracted. She cried out, her entire body shaking as she came. The feeling of her constricting around him was too much and he let go. As he rode out his own orgasm, Puck muttered something unintelligible into Rachel's neck. She could only make out two words "…love you…" but they were enough. Tears spilling over her cheeks, she held tighter to him. She wasn't letting him go.

* * *

At 10:30am, Rachel pulled out the phone book, looked up the number, and dialed. It rang twice and then a voice picked up.

"Hello, is this Principal Figgins? This is Rachel Berry, former student of McKinley High? I would like to talk to you about something…."

_

* * *

I have to make it through this day. I can do this. You will survive this, Puckerman. You have lost people you have loved before. Shit, you've lost her before. You can do this. _Puck repeated those words over and over again throughout the day. There was life after Rachel Berry, he was sure. He just didn't know if he wanted to live it.

_

* * *

Everything is going to work out, I think. This is crazy but…he's __so__ worth it._ Rachel smiled to herself. Things would be resolved today. They had to be!

* * *

Convincing Will and Emma that they needed to go into the auditorium at the high school when they were supposed to be going out to dinner with Artie, Quinn, and Puck, was a bit more challenging than they had imagined. After they asked, "but why are we going here?" probably ten times on the way over, Puck finally said, "Would you just fucking go?" He had that glare so they shut up and acquiesced. When they stepped inside the auditorium, they were shocked to see it full. And when the applause started as they walked down to the front, they looked very confused. Quinn directed them to seats in the front row and then disappeared behind the stage curtain.

A few minutes passed as those behind the curtain got situated. Once Finn gave Puck the signal, he stepped out from behind the curtain. As Puck took the stage, everyone quieted down. Will and Emma sat in the front row, perplexed looks on their faces. Taking the microphone off the stand, he began to speak. "Hello, everyone. I want to thank you all for coming. For those of you that don't know me, my name is Noah Puckerman. I'm the Athletic Director here at McKinley. But more importantly, I am the former student of both Will and Emma Schuester. As you are all aware, they are leaving us here at McKinley to start a new life in Pennsylvania. And those of us who were so touched by these two amazing people couldn't let them go without a proper goodbye. So ladies and gentlemen, Will and Emma, please welcome the ORIGINAL MCKINLEY HIGH SCHOOL'S NEW DIRECTIONS!" Puck yelled the last words as applause became louder. As soon as he was done speaking, he put the microphone back and ran offstage to take his place. As the first strains of "Don't Stop Believin'" began to play, the curtain went up. Will and Emma's eyes went wide as they recognized the people standing up on the stage.

Up on stage, Rachel caught Will's eye. He nodded to her, tears in his eyes, as she stepped forward to sing. By the end of the song, both he and Emma were in full-fledged crying mode. Sitting next to them, Principal Figgins offered them a box of Kleenex, which they gladly accepted.

Finn walked up to the microphone. "Mr. Schue," he began, "I know I fought you like crazy at first when you wanted me to join Glee club. But you were persistent and I gave in. I want to thank you for that because it literally changed my life. I found a sense of purpose, I found out that doing something I loved was more important than what anyone thought, and I found these amazing people on the stage with me. And you, Mr. Schue, were like a father to me. You don't know how much that meant but I thank you from the bottom of my heart." Finn saluted Will and then took his place back amongst the group.

And the rest of the show played out much the same way. Four of them spoke and then they sang another song. Finally, all the songs were sung and each heartfelt testimonial had been given but Rachel's. She had asked to be the last person to speak before her solo.

"Mr. Schuester, Miss Pillsbury, err…Mrs. Schuester – I want to thank you both. You two managed to take me, a bossy, opinionated yet very talented girl and turn her in to someone that could actually do some good. Life at McKinley was hard for me because I never really belonged. But the moment you started New Directions, Mr. Schue, I knew I belonged somewhere. The profound influence you had on me is exactly why I am now a choir director at a school myself. I hope that I can open up worlds to my students and make them realize that there is more to life than popularity and Friday night parties. You provided me with a sense of belonging – and these wonderful friends that stand offstage now. And I know that wherever you go and whatever you both do, you will do it with passion, love, and dedication. You will have a lasting legacy here at McKinley High School. Thank you…."

Everyone applauded Rachel and then she took center stage for her song.

Standing off stage, Puck's eyes were glued to Rachel. He had no idea what she was going to sing but he was dying to hear her sing without anyone else's voice taking away from hers.

The music began playing and she sang:

_You're in my arms_

_And all the world is calm_

_The music playing on for only two_

_So close together_

_And when I'm with you_

_So close to feeling alive_

Looking off stage, her eyes met Puck's. His heart tightened, tears rushing to fill his eyes, because he knew she was singing just for him. Singing just to him.

_A life goes by _

_Romantic dreams will stop_

_So I bid mine goodbye and never knew_

_So close was waiting, waiting here with you_

_And now forever I know_

_All that I wanted to hold you_

_So close_

She stepped forward to the front edge of the stage and lifted her arms as she belted out the next verse. She could feel Noah's eyes burning into her. She had to fight the tears that threatened to spill over…but she had to sing. He had to understand….

_So close to reaching that famous happy end_

_Almost believing this was not pretend_

_And now you're beside me and look how far we've come_

_So far we are so close _

_How could I face the faceless days_

_If I should lose you now?_

_We're so close_

_To reaching that famous happy end_

_And almost believing this was not pretend_

_Let's go on dreaming for we know we are_

_So close _

_So close_

_And still so far_

As the last lilting note left her body, the auditorium erupted. Everyone was on their feet and a few of the women were wiping tears from their eyes. Breathing heavily, Rachel looked over to where Noah had been standing. Only he wasn't there. He was gone. The realization hit her like a ton of bricks and she crumpled against Quinn, sobbing. Luckily, her friends had rushed out onto the stage and surrounded her so that no one could see the heartbreaking scene play out. In typical Glee club fashion, they had formed a protective ring around her.

As the last note left her mouth, Puck slipped from the auditorium. Now he stood outside, leaning against the building. He needed to breathe. The cold Ohio night air assaulted him but he didn't notice. _Why did she do that? Why did she sing to me? Doesn't she realize how much worse she just made it? Why let me know she loves me if she's just going to leave? I can't do this….I cannot do this…._

He stood silently for a few minutes, until people began filtering out, signaling that the show was over. He silently cursed himself, knowing he need to go back in and face the music, even if it was with a broken heart.

Puck made his way back to the group, who were all animatedly talking to Will and Emma. Quinn glared at him, shooting daggers straight through him. He didn't have the energy to talk to her. Looking around for Rachel, he spotted Principal Figgins speaking with her off in a corner. She was smiling brightly and nodding.

"Dude, why'd you leave like that?" Finn walked up to him, obviously pissed.

"Because I love her so much that I can't breathe," Puck muttered honestly.

Finn wasn't expecting that answer because he said, looking slightly stunned, "Oh…well she started crying when she noticed you were gone. She loves you, man."

"I know," was all Puck could muster.

Puck kept his eyes on Rachel the entire time. She and Principal Figgins shook hands, then she hugged him, and he headed out for the night. Turning, she met Puck's eyes. He could see the hurt that his early departure had caused. He stood up to walk toward her but she spun on her heel and walked the other way. He was really glad because he didn't know what he would say. _You're not getting on that plane tomorrow. You're staying here. I don't give a damn about your job or your life in New York. If you leave me again, I may die inside…._None of them sounded right.

Realizing that people were heading off to dinner, Puck followed suit. He was dreading this next part…the goodbyes.

**

* * *

Author's note: Still more to come. The song Rachel sang was "So Close" by Jon McLaughlin from the movie **_**Enchanted.**_** LOVE that song and the whole scene in which it's used.**


	11. Endings?

**Author's Note: This is so totally different than what I had originally planned….So different! The end result is the same but we sure are getting there in a way other than I had anticipated!**

* * *

Puck looked down at the clock. 17 minutes. That's how long he'd been sitting in his truck outside The Lima Bean. Everyone else was already inside. The farewell dinner was going strong by now. He could practically hear the laughter, the clattering of dishes, and the sing-song voices of his friends. And here he sat. Alone. _Like a big, stupid crying pussy_. Twice, he pushed open the door and started to get out only to stop himself. All he needed was a little more time and he would be mentally prepared. He just needed to plaster on a smile, share pleasantries with everyone, avoid Rachel like she was a leper, get the fuck out of there, go home, and get wasted. By the time he sobered up tomorrow, her firm little ass would be back in New York. It sounded like a plan.

Lost in his thoughts, he heard tapping on the passenger side glass. Looking over, he recognized the pretty face and blue eyes staring at him. He nodded and she opened the door, sliding in beside him.

"Hey, Puck…I saw your truck here…How are you?" Her voice was unsure, timid.

Puck sat ramrod straight, wondering what kind of shitty luck he must have to run into his cheating ex-fiance tonight.

"Hi Marie…I'm…I'm fine."

"No you aren't. You look like absolute shit."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Thanks?"

"What's wrong?"

Puck snorted. "Nothing that I'm going to tell you about, that's for sure."

Marie sighed, running her hand through her hair. "I still love you, you know. I know how badly I screwed up. And you were right. Walter didn't leave his wife. They actually just renewed their wedding vows. I'm so stupid." Marie snorted.

Puck said nothing.

Marie sat still for a moment, trying to collect her words. Finally, her mouth opened and she said, "I would like to see if we could try again….what do you say?"

Puck turned to her. "Not a snowball's chance in Hell, Marie. Your cheating on me was a blessing in disguise. Because, to be totally honest, if you hadn't cheated when you did, I would have cheated soon after you did. Your cheating allowed me to be free so that I could really fall in love…and I have. Actually, I was already in love with her…I just didn't realize it. In all actuality, Marie, you were just a fill-in." As Puck talked, realization struck him. He _l__oved_ Rachel Berry. Like _really_ loved her. Like would sing show tunes in a poodle skirt if it made her smile loved her. Like would sit through "West Side Story" so many times that he knew all the words loved her. He was an absolute asshole. What the fuck was he doing sitting out here? He had to tell her loved her before she left. She needed to know! Turning back to Marie, he said, "Get the fuck out of my truck, Marie. I have to go find the woman I love."

* * *

Rachel stared at the door, her food untouched. Will was waiting for her signal to make the announcement. He kept glancing her way but she kept shrugging her shoulders, indicating that she didn't know where HE was. And the announcement couldn't be made until he came in the room. He had to be here. He had to hear this. Every minute that ticked by without his arrival caused Rachel to panic a little bit more. What if he didn't show? Did the idea of her loving him freak him out that much? Rachel looked over at Quinn, who sent her a sad, understanding look. She then pulled out her cell phone and began furiously tapping out a message.

Puck's phone buzzed as he opened the door to the restaurant. "Get your ass in here or I will cut your nuts off and feed them to the neighbor's dog," it read. _Ahh, Quinn, ever the angel…_

Puck stepped into the room silently. There were waiters all over the place and the room smelled of food and was full of laughter, just as he imagined. Realizing that he was starving, he was momentarily seduced by the buffet table. But then he snapped himself out of his food-induced distraction and searched the crowd for Rachel. Seeing her, he took wide purposeful strides. Tapping her on the shoulder, he said, "Berry, we need to talk. NOW."

Startled, she looked up at him. "Okay, let's talk." He could see worry and stress etched across her beautiful face. He wanted to kiss it away and almost lost his nerve then. But then he remembered that this had to end tonight.

He pulled her over to a quiet section at the very back of the room and barked, "I know you're just going to fucking leave tomorrow, Rachel. And I know that this is probably going to be a repeat of eight years ago but I have to ask…please stay. Can we see if "we" work? I am in love with you…"

Right then, Will stood up and tapped his glass. Puck wanted to go grab the glass and shove it straight up Will's nose. _Who the fuck was he?_ Interrupting when the most important question he had ever asked hung unanswered in the air. Glaring, Puck faced the front of the room, his hand still tightly gripping Rachel's arm.

"I just want to thank everyone. You cannot imagine how shocked we were to see you all up there tonight. And you sounded fabulous. You guys were always my best group…perhaps for sentimental reasons and maybe just because you were all really that good! But anyway, I wanted to say thank you. This means so much to Emma and I."

Puck sighed loudly. He loved Will and Emma, he really did. But would the dude please shut the hell up? SHUT. THE. HELL. UP. _I'm trying to start the rest of my life here, dammit!_

Will continued, apparently undeterred by Puck's subliminal "fuck yous" that were being sent across the room. "Since I submitted my resignation, Figgins and I have been looking for my replacement. We interviewed a woman last week that we thought might fit the bill. In fact, we were going to make her a job offer on Monday. But we don't have to now.... I am happy to announce that Rachel Berry has accepted the position of Choir Director and head of New Directions at McKinley High School!"

The room erupted in cheers. People ran over to Rachel, pulling her from Puck's grasp to hug her. Puck just stood there, stunned.

_Holy fuck. _

He saw a piece of paper waving in his peripheral vision. Turning, he realized it was Rachel's boarding pass for tomorrow. Once she had his eyes on her, she tore it up. Then she wrapped her arms around his waist and said, "Yes, Noah. I will gladly stay to see if "we" work…but I'm pretty sure we already know the answer to that."

Pulling his head down to hers, she kissed his tear-whetted eyelashes. "I am 100% in love with you, Noah Puckerman. There is no way that I could leave you now. The mere thought makes me want to die. If you'll have me, I'm yours."

Picking her up, he spun her around and pressed her against the wall. Pressing his lips to hers, they became lost in each other. For the first time since he could remember, tears flowed freely down his cheeks in front of a room full of people – and he didn't give a rat's ass. Ten years after he fell in love with her and eight years after he tried to make her his, Rachel Berry finally WAS his.

**

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Author's Note part 2: Epilogue to be posted VERY shortly!**

**Author's Note part 3: So in my original ending, Rachel and Puck have a hard time at the dinner and he leaves early. The next morning, she goes over there to say goodbye and Marie is there and Puck is in the shower. Marie says her "fiancé" is in the shower and Rachel freaks out and leaves in tears. Quinn chews him out later and he freaks out and goes to get her. And while it seemed like a good ending – it wasn't realistic because Rachel and Puck had shared far too many emotions in the past week for her to possibly believe that he was back with Marie. And this isn't a Harlequin Romance anyway!**


	12. Epilogue

~~~~~ EPILOGUE ~~~~~

Puck sauntered down the empty halls of McKinley, walking the quickest route between his office and the choir room. It was a Friday and he couldn't wait for the weekend. He loved his weekends now that life was so different than it had been before. As he approached the familiar doorway to the room where he had spent so many hours as a teenager, he heard voices and realized that Rachel was still with a student. Pausing outside the door, he listened.

"…..but what I don't understand is why you gave that solo to Jennifer when my vocal range is obviously far superior to hers. She struggles with high notes! My extensive vocal training has afforded me the ability to reach ANY note… So in actuality, a solo assigned to me calls for less practice! It seems to me that you're making a questionable judgment call and are thereby affecting our chances for success this competition season."

Puck looked in, watching the petite blond girl speaking sternly to Rachel, who was placing sheet music back on the shelf.

Rachel turned and looked at her, unable to hide the sheer exasperation on her face. "Christy, this is the Glee **club**. You have to expect to share the spotlight if you want us to be successful at Sectionals this year. This is all about teamwork. Sometimes, one team member has to step back so that another one can step forward. But if the end result is success, then it's all worth it. I can relate to how you feel, believe me."

The blond girl sighed loudly. Picking up her books, she turned back to face Rachel. "I seriously doubt that YOU know how I feel. I just don't understand why you have destroy my dreams in order to encourage others." She then stormed out of the room, bumping into Puck as she retreated.

Rachel heard Puck's laughter before she saw him. He walked up behind her, wrapped his arms around her waist, and rested his chin on her shoulder. "So the circle of life at McKinley High continues, I see?"

Rachel sighed, relishing his warmth and the strength of his arms around her tired body. "She's exactly like I was, isn't she?"

"She's your blonde clone. All that's missing is those sexy-ass knee socks. I'm just waiting for her to get Slushied…."

Turning to face him, she said, "Don't you dare plant that idea in anyone's head, Noah Puckerman! She may be as difficult as I was but NO ONE deserves to be Slushied!"

"Pipe down, babe! I would never suggest it….I **am** in a position of authority around here now, remember? I can't exactly encourage those types of things – even if they were pretty awesome and completely badass."

Rachel turned and smacked him on the arm. Then standing up on her the very tip of her toes, she kisses his mouth.

"Can we go home, Mr. Puckerman?"

"Absolutely, Mrs. Puckerman…you need to be off your feet anyway."

Supporting her with his arm around her waist, Rachel put her hands on her very pregnant belly. Four more weeks and then she could see her feet again! As she waddled with him out to the car, he helped her in and made sure she was securely in her seat before starting the car.

As Puck navigated their new Honda through the neighborhood seats of Lima, they both sat in comfortable silence. Rachel was leaning back in her seat, her eyes closed. Pregnancy was more exhausting than she had anticipated. Just nine months ago, she had received Quinn's invitation to return to Lima. And now, here she was, getting ready to celebrate her six-month wedding anniversary. Rachel thought back to those nights – not their singular night of passion nearly nine years ago – but of the two nights during her trip back to Lima that she spent in his arms. Sighing with pleasure, she possessively laid her hand on her belly. _This _baby boy was created _then_…. And then once the announcement about her new position was made, she and Noah went to New York to pack up her life and bring it all back to Lima. They had spent five, wonderful days in New York City packing and sight-seeing. She even got Noah to sit through three different Broadway musicals! She gave him the full tour, leaving out none of the goofy cliché places that visitors from the Midwest often flock to. At night, they made love and planned their future. Once everything was packed, they rented a moving truck and drove it back to Lima. Backing the truck up to Noah's house, her items were offloaded straight into it. There was no question about where she would live when she started her new job.

A few short weeks later, having barely settled into her new job at McKinley High, Rachel woke in the middle of the night and had to run to the bathroom to vomit. Puck heard the commotion and got up to follow her. Wetting a cloth so that she could wipe her mouth, his voice was low and tinged with emotion.

"You're pregnant, you know."

She looked up at him from her perch above the porcelain throne and said, "I think so."

Puck smiled down at her, tears swimming in his eyes. "So this means you're marrying me, right? I mean….I know we should probably wait but…..dammit, I can't. That's my baby and you're my girl. I lost you once and I'll be damned if ….."

Rachel jumped up and threw herself into his arms, hugging him tightly (they would kiss later, after she had brushed her teeth.) "You don't have to ask me twice, Noah Puckerman. And you don't have to worry about losing me. I'm right here."

Puck watched as Rachel's face turned almost green. She then sprinted back over to the toilet and heaved again. When she was finished, she took the cloth from his outstretched hand, wiped her mouth, and hung it over the tub.

Good God, even spewing vomit, he loved this woman so much it made his hands tingle.

Two months later, they were married in Quinn and Artie's backyard. All their Glee friends were in attendance, as were Will and Emma. That day, as Rachel was surrounded by friends, her fingers intertwined with those of her new husband, her new stepdaughter staring up at her adoringly, and the baby she dreamed about growing inside her, she couldn't imagine a more perfect life.

She pulled herself back to the present as Noah turned the car into the driveway. Helping her out, he pulled her into his arms and dropped a kiss on her lips. "Do you know how much I love you?"

"Probably as much as I love you," she offered, which was the standard answer she gave him every time he whispered that same question to her.

Turning, he helped her up the steps and unlocked the door. With an exaggerated sigh, she collapsed on the couch and propped up her feet. _Home. _It felt so good to be home. She had left before but somehow – perhaps miraculously – she had found her way back home. And she was never, ever leaving again.

**

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Author's note: And so we say goodbye to Noah, Rachel, Sarah, and baby Puckerman here. Now I gotta start thinking of my next story. *sigh* Thank you all SO MUCH for all the reviews. They absolutely make writing worth it. I'm sure my next story will probably be longer than this one…I love multi-chapter dramas. Rest assured, it will be a Puckleberry story because frankly, there are no others! Until then – TOODLES!**


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